Money will provide incentives for new, discount airlines to locate in city.
View full sizeThe welcoming sign at Syracuse Hancock International Airport is shown in a photo from June 17. Washington -- Syracuse won a $500,000 federal grant Tuesday to help the city in its effort to lure low-cost airlines to Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the competitive grant under its 2010 Small Community Air Service Development Program, according to U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei, who worked with the city and local economic development officials on the application.
The city will use the money to provide incentives for new airlines to locate at the airport, and provide service to new routes at lower costs, said Christina Reale, an airport spokeswoman.
She said the incentives could include assistance to airlines for startup costs at Hancock, marketing and advertising, credits for airport landing fees and credits on fees for maintaining common areas at the airport.
“It’s really about having the funds available to help a carrier and ultimately make it sustainable for them,” Reale said. “We want to help the carriers be successful because, ultimately, that translates into new and better service for our community.”
The city and local economic development officials have been trying to lure airlines such as Southwest and AirTran to the Syracuse airport, with the idea of lowering costs for local business and leisure travelers.
For years, city officials and local business leaders have complained that the city’s airport is underserved, and has some of the highest costs of air service in the nation.
Maffei, aware of those concerns, convinced U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to tour the airport during a visit to Central New York earlier this year.
Reale said the city also is trying to persuade existing carriers, such as JetBlue, to add low-cost flights to their schedule at Hancock. JetBlue recently agreed to add a sixth daily flight out of Syracuse. The new flight will provide a second daily route to Orlando, starting Feb. 17.
Although Syracuse has tried to lure new carriers for several years, Reale said an improving economy and rebounding airline profits may set the stage for a deal in the coming months.
Passenger traffic at Syracuse Hancock Airport increased 6.6 percent in September compared to the same month in 2009, Reale said. It was the biggest monthly increase since the start of the Great Recession.
The airport also is about to receive a major boost from a $63 million project due to begin next year to ease security congestion.
The expansion project will create one central security screening site, consolidating and streamlining operations now located in each of Hancock Airport’s two terminals. Money for the construction will come from passenger facility charges.
Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.