WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today participated in a full committee hearing examining the current status of the aviation industry during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The hearing also examined the implementation of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed and President Trump signed into law.
“The aviation industry has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In West Virginia, several of our local airports are only seeing one or two passengers – or even zero passengers – per day. Their corporate business aircraft have dropped off as well. Thankfully, the support we were able to provide in CARES and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) has been able to provide some form of lifeline to these communities. However, we do not know how far reaching these impacts will be on our aviation industry in the years to come.” Senator Capito said.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Congress was able to provide much needed support to the aviation industry and its workers. The CARES Act provided up to $46 billion available for federal loans and loan guarantees to the aviation sector. In West Virginia, The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has so far awarded more than $9.3 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help fund continued operations and make up for lost revenue for airports across West Virginia.
Senator Capito launched a page on her website to help bring current and accurate information to West Virginians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to access the webpage for the latest updates and resources.
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