Chattanooga Airport announced it has been awarded the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) grant, totaling $750,000, from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said, “Air connectivity is critical to maintaining a prosperous and resilient local economy, which is why I have been a huge advocate for the improvements and additional air services coming to the Chattanooga Airport. People want to fly in and out of Chattanooga, and I’m committed to helping unlock that latent capacity and to making the strategic investments necessary to accommodate the growth we’re seeing in our city and region. I am thankful for the support of the Department of Transportation and for the great work of the Chattanooga Airport in securing this grant.”
The funding will be used for recruiting new air service to Denver, allowing the greater Chattanooga area easy access to the West Coast and numerous international destinations. An alternative new service option proposed is nonstop to Houston.
“Chattanooga Airport continues to grow and expand to meet the needs of our region. This grant is monumental in making our strategic plans a reality,” said April Cameron, president and CEO of Chattanooga Airport.
Qualifications for the SCASDP grant include being classified as a small hub airport and having insufficient air carrier service. Priority is also given to applicants whose communities provide a portion of the funds needed to deliver the proposed services. Supporters of Chattanooga Airport raised over $375,000 to go towards this potential service expansion, which brings total proceeds to over $1 million to support a new nonstop flight destination.
“I also want to thank the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, the Chattanooga Airport Board of Commissioners and business leaders across the region who provided additional support,” Ms. Cameron added.
This is the first time since 2005 that the Chattanooga Airport has been awarded the SCASDP grant.