S. 1438 — Small Community Air Service Enhancement Act

This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and revises the Small Community Air Service Development Program, a Department of Transportation (DOT) grant program designed to help small communities address air service and airfare issues. The bill requires DOT to prioritize grants to communities that meet certain requirements, including where the assistance will be used to help restore scheduled passenger air service that has been terminated or significantly reduced. Under the current program, the air service must have been terminated. Further, DOT must solicit grant applications during a fiscal year when DOT has in excess of $5 million available to provide grants in that fiscal year.