ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH) will use a $750,000 Small Community Air Service Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to try to expand air-service options with a new direct flight from Ithaca to Dulles International Airport, near Washington, D.C.
“This funding will undoubtedly facilitate our mission to enhance connectivity and make air travel even more convenient for the people we serve,” ITH Director Roxan Noble said in a release. She noted the grant is a testament to the hard work the community has put into improving air service at ITH.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–NY) noted that the airport serves thousands of residents and visitors in Tompkins County and throughout the Southern Tier annually. The new route to the nation’s capital is vital, she added. “This funding will help bolster economic development and ensure that the transportation needs of area residents and industries are met.”
“Adding a new route allows Ithaca and the surrounding region to grow,” Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY–19) said of the new route that connects ITH to Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia.
Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes praised the airport’s commitment to finding creative and strategic ways to draw in investment and improve air service to expand the number of hubs that can be accessed from Tompkins County.
The Small Community Air Service Development Program is designed to help small communities address air service and airfare issues. The criteria are broader and provide applicants the opportunity to self-identify air-service deficiencies and propose an appropriate solution.