The private company operating Easterwood Airport since June of last year has enlisted several local partners to ask the federal government for a matching grant to recruit Delta for non-stop passenger service to and from Atlanta.
Airport manager Josh Abramson of Astin Aviation says if the $475,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarded, it would be matched dollar-for-dollar with funding from their company, airport management, Texas A&M, Brazos County, the cities of College Station and Bryan, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Research Valley Partnership.
Abramson says that would be part of the incentive package that would be offered to Delta Airlines over a three year period to establish service.
The airport currently generates an overall economic impact of nearly $50 million dollars and a direct economic impact of $33 million. Abramson says Delta would add another $10,212,000 overall and $6,828,000 in direct impact.
A resolution adopted by the Brazos County Commission indicated between 2007 and 2014, the population of the College Station/Bryan metropolitan statistical area increased by 20 percent and the gross metropolitan product rose by 36 percent. In the same period, seat capacity at Easterwood dropped 14 percent, flight frequency declined 34 percent, and enplanements were essentially flat.
Abramson says American and United have also been approached to add to their existing schedules. United has agreed to add flights on the weekends that A&M has home football games against larger SEC opponents.
Abramson, who has been airport manager since February, says Astin and A&M, which owns the airport, are developing a renovation of the terminal building. And this week, what he called antiquated equipment is being replaced in the parking lots.
Click below for comments from Josh Abramson, visiting with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
Click HERE to read the Easterwood Airport resolution approved by the Brazos County Commission.