If The City of Dallas has received grant money from the
Federal Aviation Administration - Airport Improvement Program (AIP) that is being used to fund the improvements associated with the Love Field Master Plan, don't they have certain obligations they must fulfill -- namely keeping the airport open for use?
A couple of items from the overview section:
What Airports are Eligible?
AIP grants for planning, development, or noise compatibility projects are at or associated with individual public-use airports (including heliports and seaplane bases). A public-use airport is an airport open to the public that also meets the following criteria:
Publicly owned, or
Privately owned but designated by the FAA as a reliever, or
Privately owned but having scheduled service and at least 2,500 annual enplanements.
Further, to be eligible for a grant, an airport must be included in the NPIAS.
The NPIAS, which is prepared and published every 2 years, identifies public-use airports that are important to public transportation and contribute to the needs of civil aviation, national defense, and the Postal service.
(Note: Obviously the Federal Government sees a need for Love Field even if American Airlines, DFW Airport and the Fort Worth Parties don't. Otherwise it wouldn't have given Love Field any money at all.)
Recipients of grants are referred to as "sponsors." The description of eligible grant activities is described in the authorizing legislation and relates to capital items serving to develop and improve the airport in areas of safety, capacity, and noise compatibility. In addition to these basic principles, a sponsor must be legally, financially, and otherwise able to carry out the assurances and obligations contained in the project application and grant agreement.
{Note: Since the City of Dallas is the recipient of the grant, that makes them the sponsor. If Love Field is closed, how are they going to be able to carry out the assurances and obligations contained in the project application and grant agreement?
What Are the Obligations for Accepting AIP Funds?
Airports sponsors who accept a grant offer are also accepting conditions and obligations associated with the
grant assurances.
These include obligations to operate and maintain the airport in a safe and servicable condition, not grant exclusive rights, mitigate hazards to airspace, and use airport revenue properly.
Grant Assurances (Airport Sponsor Obligations)
What are Grant Assurances?
When airport owners or sponsors, planning agencies, or other organizations accept funds from FAA-administered airport financial assistance programs, they must agree to certain obligations (or assurances). These obligations require the recipients to maintain and operate their facilities safely and efficiently and in accordance with specified conditions. The assurances appear either in the application for Federal assistance and become part of the final grant offer or in restrictive covenants to property deeds.
The duration of these obligations depends on the type of recipient, the useful life of the facility being developed, and other conditions stipulated in the assurances.
How Does the FAA Determine Which Projects Will Receive AIP Funds?
Because the demand for AIP funds exceeds the availability,
the FAA bases distribution of these funds on present national priorities and objectives. AIP funds are typically first apportioned into major entitlement categories such as primary, cargo, and general aviation.
Remaining funds are distributed to a discretionary fund. Set-aside projects (airport noise and the Military Airport Program) receive first attention from this discretionary distribution. The remaining funds are true discretionary funds that are distributed according to a national priortization formula.
If Love Field were to be closed, wouldn't the City of Dallas have to return that grant money back to the FAA?
LoneStarMike
