MAHONING VALLEY Possible deal with new airline is near, regional airport says

Funds are available to aid any new flights and to help the current carrier adjust.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport might be only 30 days from landing routes from a "name-brand" airline, interim airport director Steve Bowser said.
He would not disclose the name of the airline or possible destinations or schedules.
However, he said the carrier is part of the National Air Transportation System, meaning it could offer tickets that include transfers to other airlines.
"It is a recognizable carrier within the region," Bowser said.
This week, the Western Reserve Port Authority Board approved $150,000 to support the operation and promotion of new flights.
The money could also be used to help Vacation Express, which has operated from the airport since April, adjust to changes that the addition of a new airline might bring, Bowser said.
"If this deal falls apart, some of these funds will not be spent," he said.
The money comes from the port authority's own coffers, fattened by the proceeds of taxes collected in Trumbull and Mahoning counties on hotel rooms.
Start-up funding
The airport borrowed $150,000 from each of the counties earlier this year to help Vacation Express start service to Sanford, Fla., and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Those planes are now more than 70 percent full, Bowser said.
"The important thing was, we basically had good start-up numbers," he said. "That is basically why we have attracted the attention of other airlines."
The Sanford airport's director of marketing and Sanford's deputy city manager toured the Mahoning Valley on Thursday and today in an effort to create deeper ties between the communities. Their itinerary for today includes meetings with local business and civic leaders.
The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport was without any regularly scheduled flights for more than a year after the departure of Northwest Airlines in 2002. The airline had offered flights to its hub in Detroit.
siff@vindy.com