“The aviation industry was hit hard by the pandemic, and we have taken action to support and protect the jobs of aviation manufacturing workers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “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.”
Many of the recipients are small businesses. Of the 593 companies receiving funds from this program, 393 of them (66%) had fewer than 100 employees at the beginning of April 2020, and 498 of them (84%) had fewer than 250 employees. DOT employed a broad range of strategies to contact potentially eligible businesses to lay out the application process and eligibility rules.
AMJP awards are part of the American Rescue Plan’s strong support to protect jobs in the aviation industry, including $15 billion in payroll support for passenger air carriers and contractors and $8 billion in economic assistance to U.S. airports.
AMJP funds can be used to pay up to half of the payroll costs for certain categories of employees engaged in manufacturing or repair, for up to six months. In return, recipient businesses must make several commitments, including not to involuntarily furlough or lay off employees (or reduce pay or benefits) within that group while receiving AMJP payroll support.
A full list of the successful applicants can be found at Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection (AMJP) Program Eligible Recipients.
DOT announced the first round of awards on September 13, 2021, and announced a second round on November 8, 2021.
In January 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14002, Economic Relief Related to the COVID 19 Pandemic, to give relief to individual, families, and small businesses, and to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. Across the Department, DOT has tracked relief programs supporting communities in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Programs providing relief can be found here.
*Note that after the first and second rounds of funding were announced, there were a few changes in individual awards. As with any financial assistance program, the number of recipients and total volume of funding actually awarded is subject to change after announcements are made.
