(20 ILCS 3958/25)
Sec. 25. I-FLY Program.
(a) The Department shall establish the I-FLY Program, in cooperation with the Commission. The Program shall consist of the following components:
(1) air carrier recruitment and retention grants as
described in subsection (c); and
(2) planning grants under subsection (d).
The Department may make grants under this Act only to airports that are located completely outside of Cook County.
(b) During any one-year period, an airport may receive a grant for only one of the 2 components specified in subsection (a).
(c) Air carrier recruitment and retention program grants.
(1) An airport may receive an air carrier recruitment
and retention program grant from the Department only if:
(A) it is capable of supporting takeoffs and
landings by aircraft that have at least 19 passenger seats or have made improvements or commitments to the Department to provide this capability; and
(B) it has a commitment from an air carrier to
start or continue air service to the community that the airport serves subject to financial support from the State and from the airport or unit of local government that the airport serves. The commitment must specify that the air carrier would not provide or continue to provide service to the community if financial assistance were not available.
(2) An application for an air carrier recruitment and
retention program grant must contain commitments from the airport or the unit of local government in which the airport is located as to the amount of the total project cost, the contribution from the unit of local government or airport, the method in which the contribution from the airport or unit of local government will be generated, and the requested State contribution.
(3) The air carrier recruitment and retention program
grant shall be used to guarantee the financial viability of air carriers providing reasonable air service at the airport. A grant under this subsection (c) to a particular airport may be in only one of the following 3 forms:
(A) A grant may be used to guarantee that an air
carrier shall receive an agreed amount of revenue per flight.
(B) A grant may be used to guarantee a reduced or
subsidized consumer ticket price.
(C) A grant may be used to guarantee a profit
goal established by the air carrier and airport.
(4) During the first year of a grant under this
subsection (c), the grant shall pay 80% of the total cost of the guarantee and the airport or unit of local government in which the airport is located shall pay 20% of the total cost of the guarantee. During the second year of a grant under this subsection (c), the grant shall pay 80% of the total cost of the guarantee and the airport or the unit of local government in which the airport is located shall pay 20% of the total cost of the guarantee. During the third year of a grant under this subsection (c), the grant shall pay 80% of the total cost of the guarantee and the airport or the unit of local government in which the airport is located shall pay 20% of the total cost of the guarantee.
(5) The total State funding for a grant under this
subsection (c) to a particular airport may not exceed $1,500,000 in any year.
(6) An airport that has received a 3-year grant under
this subsection (c) may apply for another grant for an additional 3-year period; however, the Department shall, in determining whether to make a grant for an additional 3-year period, give priority to other airports that have not previously received a grant under this subsection (c). The Department shall also give priority in making grants under this subsection (c) to airports at which the Department determines that a 3-year grant may result in the creation of stable and reliable commercial air service without an additional grant.
(d) Planning grants. An airport may apply for and receive a planning grant to conduct feasibility studies or business plans designed to study the recruitment, retention, or expansion of an air carrier at the airport. To be eligible for a grant under this subsection (d), the airport must have the potential for initial or expanded air service as the Department determines through its evaluation process. The grant shall pay 70% of the total cost of the feasibility studies or business plans and the airport or the unit of local government in which the airport is located shall pay 30% of the total cost of the feasibility studies or business plans. An airport may receive only one planning grant.
(Source: P.A. 98-674, eff. 6-30-14.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015