The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that it has granted funds to small communities in order to help them improve and develop their local air service.
This move is part of the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP), which originally started in 2002. It is designed to assist small communities is solving the problems that they face in their local air service, such as insufficient service, high fares and a lack of competition.
The funds, which amount to $5.5 million, are dedicated to 11 small communities located within 11 states. There were a total of 49 eligible applications to the program. The applications came from 29 states in the U.S.
“Local air service is vital for connecting our smaller communities to the national aviation system,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said. “These grants will help communities across the country attract better air service and provide more travel options for their residents.”
Since 2002, the funds from the program have assisted approximately 400 communities in develop projects that are designed specifically for the needs of local air service. These include financial incentives that make new routes economically attractive to small communities, implementing marketing programs that emphasize local service and running studies about the best ways to improve service.
