Depending on the airline’s selection, the grant will promote potential new air services from Corpus Christi to both Denver, Colorado, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Three Texas cities were awarded grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation totaling $1,750,000 on Wednesday.
DOT received 48 applications from 30 states to receive money from the $16.9 million from the Small Community Air Service Development Program. The grant was awarded to 25 communities in 20 states.
In a press release, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said “We’re proud to award these grants to help strengthen local air service in 25 smaller communities and help Americans across the country get to where they need to go more efficiently and affordably.”
Since the program began, DOT issued more than 400 grants to help communities develop projects for their own air service needs. The grants are used to provide financial incentives to carriers, conduct studies on the possibilities of expanded service, and carry out marketing programs to promote existing local service, as well as address other challenges small communities and their airports may experience.
The grants will also help communities establish first air services, restore lost service, and provides support to establish new routes to improve connectivity and allow people in the community to fly more easily and affordable.
The Texas cities receiving the grants are as follows: Corpus Christi $750,000, Laredo $250,000, McAllen $750,000.
A press release for the grants said the communities have established robust public-private partnerships to enhance community participation and facilitate access to air services.
Depending on the airline’s selection, the grant will promote potential new air services from Corpus Christi to both Denver, Colorado, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
In a press release, Mayor Paulette Guajardo said “CCIA is extremely pleased to receive this generous grant and is excited to provide possible options to Denver, CO, and Las Vegas, NV for our residents of Corpus Christi and all of our gulf coast communities. With this new grant, we now possess three key initiatives to continue the upward trajectory of expanding CCIA. The three initiatives include our “Fly Local Pledge,” our Incentive Program, and now our new Air Service Revenue Grant, which will encourage partnership with new airlines and hopefully provide more non-stop flight options for our region,”
The new grant guarantees airline carriers to receive covered costs on the flights. City officials hope the initiatives will expand travel to Corpus Christi International Airport.
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