Youngstown-Warren Air Service Initiative Nears $3.6M in Pledges
VIENNA, Ohio – Seventy businesses and individuals have stepped up and pledged nearly $3.6 million toward a campaign to reestablish regularly scheduled commercial air service to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, officials say.
The effort, called the Travel Bank-Air Service Initiative, has raised $3.58 million since the campaign was announced in late August, reports Dan Dickten, director of aviation.
"The response from businesses and individuals from our community has been strong thus far," Dickten said. "We're ahead of pace with the pledges and will continue to work with local businesses to reach our intended target of $5 million."
A travel bank is a list of pledges from local businesses, large employers and other contributors who travel frequently, Dickten says. The travel bank also estimates how much each entity will spend annually on new air service should it be initiated from a local airport.
The high level of support demonstrates the community is fully behind returning new air service to Youngstown-Warren, he said.
The last regular commercial air service from the airport pulled out in 2003, Dickten said. Recently, the airport was awarded a $780,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation that is earmarked for an airline revenue guarantee, an incentive, along with the travel bank, that could lure a new carrier to Youngstown, he noted.
Last year, the St. Cloud Regional Airport in Minnesota raised $6.2 million in pledges for new daily air service to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dickten noted.
Pledges toward the air service initiative can be made online.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.