GTRA gets final piece of puzzle

Columbus City Council approved Feb. 3 a resolution committing the final $125,000 toward a $500,000 shared community grant match for the final piece of a federal grant aiming to provide westbound flights from Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Other local governments involved include Lowndes, Clay Oktibbeha counties, and West Point. GTRA Executive Director Mike Hainsey said the match is part of a $1.5-million federal incentive package to recruit an airline to provide westbound air service to the airport - one of 16 nationwide to secure a $750,000 Small Community Air Service Development grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Air service from GTRA currently provides three Delta flights per day to Atlanta. Hainsey hopes to add an airline to provide two non-stop westbound flights daily focused on recruiting American Airlines for flights to Dallas, since companies like Airbus Helicopter and PACCAR (a subsidiary of Peterbilt) have corporate HQs there. If that doesn't work out, GTRA would look to either Houston or Denver. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 02/05/15)