Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is renewing New Mexico Airlines' (Pacific Wings) contract to provide commercial air service to the Alamogordo-Holloman Air Force Base area.

Under the agreement, New Mexico Airlines will continue to provide two round trips each weekday and three over each weekend to Albuquerque International Sunport under the Essential Air Service (EAS) program for an annual subsidy rate of $1.16 million.  The contract is for two years beginning on January 1, 2010.

"Commercial air service is important to Alamogordo's economy and an important asset to Holloman Air Force Base.  I am pleased New Mexico Airlines will continue to provide this important service," Bingaman said.

Congress established the Essential Air Service Program in 1978 to ensure that communities that had commercial air service before deregulation continue to receive scheduled service.   Without EAS, many rural communities would have no commercial air service at all.  New Mexico has a total of 4 EAS communities: Alamogordo, Carlsbad, Clovis, and Silver City.