ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Rochester International Airport will receive nearly $1M from the US Department of Transportation to improve air service.
The department announced Wednesday that it will give out $16.9M in grants to help smaller communities, and that includes Rochester, which will receive $850,000. The grant will be used to recruit new nonstop service to a western hub from RST.
“We are thrilled with the news of this important award and want to thank the Department of Transportation for recognizing the critical needs of our region when it comes to air travel,” says John Reed, executive director. “Rochester International Airport’s air service was hard-hit from the pandemic; the ongoing shortage of pilots only exacerbates the issue. We have strong demand for air travel in our region, pushing load factors over 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic. We are suffering from lack of capacity. We recognize the historically challenging time our airline partners continue to face. We are working hard to recruit service to replace some of our lost capacity.”
“In so many of our nation’s smaller communities, local air service is crucial to residents’ lives and livelihoods,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “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.”
Read More: RST to receive nearly $1M from US Department of Transportation | Olmsted County