The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Chattanooga Airport a Small Community Air Service Development Program grant totaling $750,000.
The funding will be used for initiating 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.
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 more than $375,000 to go toward this potential service expansion, which brings total proceeds to more than $1 million to support a new nonstop flight destination.
This is the first time since 2005 the Chattanooga Airport has been awarded the SCASDP grant.