DOT grant to help with air services in Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Three towns in Texas received U.S. Department of Transportation grants Wednesday totaling $1,750,000.

The DOT received 48 applications from 30 states to receive money from the $16.9 million 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 are proud to award these grants to help strengthen local air service in 25 small communities and help Americans across the country get to where they need to go more efficiently and at lower cost”.

Since the program began, DOT has awarded more than 400 grants to help communities develop projects for their own air service needs. Grants are used to provide financial incentives to carriers, conduct studies of opportunities for expanded service, and conduct marketing programs to promote existing local service, as well as to address other challenges that small communities and their airports may encounter.

The grants will also help communities establish early air services, restore lost service, and provide support to establish new routes to improve connectivity and make it easier and cheaper for people in the community to fly.

The cities in Texas receiving the grants are: Corpus Christi $750,000, Laredo $250,000, McAllen $750,000.

A press release on the grants says communities have established strong public-private partnerships to build 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 Denver, Colorado, and Las Vegas, Nevada.

In a press release, Mayor Paulette Guajardo said, “The CCIA is extremely pleased to receive this generous grant and is excited to provide possible options in Denver, CO, and Las Vegas, NV for our residents of Corpus Christi and all our Gulf Coast communities. With this new grant, we now have three key initiatives to continue the upward trajectory of CCIA expansion. The three initiatives include our “Local Flight Pledge”, our Incentive Program and now our new Air Services Revenue Grant, which will encourage partnership with new airlines and hopefully provide more non-stop flight options for our region,”

The new subsidy ensures air carriers receive covered costs on flights. City officials hope the initiatives will expand travel to Corpus Christi International Airport.

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