The Small Community Air Service Development Program is a small federal grant program to encourage, as the name suggests, more flights to smaller cities. It’s pretty much pork, but of the leaner sort, as it requires local communities to put up some of their own money. Still, this program is important to watch as it shows what possible new routes really matter to cities across the state and nation. SCASDP applications are also an important indicator of which communities might be after new service to American Airlines’ big hub in Charlotte. This year’s North Carolina-related applications were:
• Greenville, seeking $750,000 to go with $653,667 in local and $25,000 in state money to help start Delta Air Lines service to Atlanta.
• Concord, seeking $250,000 to go with $50,000 in local money to market its existing Allegiant Air service to various point in Florida
• Shreveport, LA, seeking $$500,000 to go with $500,000 in local money plus some in-kind funding to attract new service to Chicago, Charlotte, or Washington, D.C.
• Vero Beach, FL, seeking $200,000 to go with $75,000 in local money plus in kind contribution to get air service to somewhere, maybe Atlanta or Charlotte.
None of these applications were picked by the Department of Transportation. The second time was not the charm for Greenville, Concord, or Shreveport as they have all submitted similar applications in the past.
