Knoxville getting $500,000 to recruit Washington air service
Friday February 19, 2010
The city of Knoxville will be receiving $500,000 to use toward developing low-cost air carrier service...
The city of Knoxville will be receiving $500,000 to use toward developing low-cost air carrier service to Baltimore/Washington International Airport, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced today.
Knoxville is one of 19 recipients across the country of a Small Community Air Service Development Program grant that is meant to help small communities improve their air service, according to an announcement by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Altogether, $6.4 million in grants are being awarded through the program.
"We are very excited to receive this grant," said Becky Huckaby, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority (MKAA), which operates McGhee Tyson Airport and Downtown Island Airport.
The Airport Authority and East Tennesseeans for Airfare Competition had applied for the grant, which Huckaby said will be used toward attracting an airline to provide low-fare service to Washington, D.C., which is a destination much in demand in the Knoxville area. In all, 84 communities applied for the grants. Aside from the funds, just the status of winning one of the grants should help in attracting more low-fare air service, Huckaby said.
"The fact that we were one of only 19 communities picked out of 84 says a lot about what potential there is for us," Huckaby said.
Source: Knoxville News Sentinel
