REGIONAL AIRPORT Agency denies $1 million grant

Airport officials hoped the grant would help lure Delta.
& lt;a href=mailto:siff@vindy.com & gt;By STEPHEN SIFF & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport has again been turned down for a federal grant intended to help struggling airports lure passenger service.
Airport officials hoped a $1 million grant could be used to market new flights and for some airport operations.
It is the second time the airport applied for -- and was denied -- the FAA grant.
"Although we are very disappointed that we did not get the grant again this year, this funding was intended to enhance any program introduced, and did not compromise our timeline to begin services in the near future," said William Reali, chairman of the Western Reserve Port Authority Board, which runs the airport.
The airport has not had any regularly scheduled passenger service since Northwest Airlines shut down its two turboprop flights last fall.
Officials had hoped the grant would entice Delta Airlines to begin some flights from the local facility, most likely to its hub in Cincinnati. Delta submitted a letter in support of the local airport's application.
Successful applicants
Nearly 200 airports applied for the 35 grants awarded in this round of the federal program.
Successful grant applicants serving Ohio included Athens-Morgantown, W.Va., which was awarded $587,224, and Marietta-Parkersburg, which was awarded $500,000.
The Akron-Canton Regional Airport was awarded a grant through the first round of the program earlier this year.
Local officials say they will continue their efforts to sell the airport to airlines.
In a press release, Reali said board member William Kelly "is in the process of forming a marketing committee to create a marketing plan for every facet of the airport."
The committee will study the geographic area from which the airport hopes to draw customers and an analysis of customer needs.