Casper Airport Receives $500,000 Community Air Service Development Grant

Casper/Natrona County International Airport announced award by the U.S. Department of Transportation of a Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) grant.

Congress established the SCASDP grant program in 2001 to assist smaller communities in enhancing their air service and to address high airfare issues. The DOT had $10 million available for fiscal year 2017 grant awards. The Airport’s grant amount will total $500,000; however, the Airport’s application reflected a program total of $737,000, including cash, in-kind contributions, and reduction in fees from the Airport. The focus of the Airport’s grant application is to cover initial operating losses, operating costs, and local marketing for new non-stop service to Phoenix, Arizona or another western hub.

The DOT received 53 grant applications from communities in 36 states/territories. Statutory requirements including insufficient air service, unreasonably high air fares, and/or geographic diversity as well as meeting priority considerations such as local cash contributions, established public/private partnerships, material benefits to the general public, timely use of grant funds, and whether multiple communities cooperate to submit a regional or multistate application to consolidate air service into one regional airport are also considerations in selecting a grantee. The Department intends to award 16 grants benefiting communities in 16 states/territories. This is the third SCASDP grant the Airport has received. It received one grant in 2002 and one in 2012.