The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently said it will offer an additional $69 million, provided by the American Rescue Plan, to 127 aviation manufacturing and repair businesses.
“The aviation industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and we have taken action to support and protect the jobs of aviation manufacturing workers,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “The critical American Rescue Plan funding announced today is protecting tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs, supporting hundreds of small businesses, and helping keep America’s aviation industry strong as it continues its robust recovery.”
The Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program was created to ensure the aviation manufacturing workforce remained intact despite declines in airline travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program’s grants can be used to pay up to half of the payroll costs for up to six months for certain categories of employees engaged in manufacturing or repair. Recipients must agree to certain conditions, including not to involuntarily furlough, lay off, or reduce employees’ pay or benefits while receiving payroll support.
This is the third round of awards. The first two rounds were announced in September and November and awarded $673 million. Many recipients were small businesses.