YOUNGSTOWN-WARREN REGIONAL AIRPORT Counties have plan to get airline going

The port authority says it will pay the counties back within five years.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Mahoning and Trumbull counties are each prepared to borrow $150,000 to get commercial air service from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport off the ground.
The $300,000 will be seed money to help Flightserv Inc. of Atlanta begin daily service to Sanford, Fla., outside Orlando, and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
"If it brings in an airline, it is money well spent," said Trumbull County Commissioner James Tsagaris.
The Western Reserve Port Authority, which runs the airport, has told county commissioners it expects to repay the money within two to five years. This year, the port authority will collect money from hotel room taxes in both counties, and hopes to also profit from the Flightserv deal.
The money is significantly less than what other communities have paid to lure airlines, said Mahoning Commissioner Vicki Allen Sherlock. She emphasized that the commissioners have confidence that the port authority would be able to pay the money back.
'A good investment'
"I think it is a good investment for the area to initiate a service at the airport that many people can see and benefit from," said Trumbull Commissioner Joseph Angelo Jr.
A busier airport could also improve the area's chances of keeping the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which shares the airport's runway, Angelo said.
"It is a good investment for county commissioners because it shows the airport is a viable entity," said Mahoning County Commissioner Ed Reese. "We now hope the area will show it will support the flights to these destinations."
Wednesday, the port authority board signed a contract with Flightserv and its wholly owned subsidiary, Vacation Express, to begin service April 1.
Company officials have not yet signed the contract. A joint press conference with port authority and company officials is planned Friday.
siff@vindy.com