Grant approved for new travel destinations out of Yuma airport

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors approved a matching grant Monday that will potentially allow the Yuma International Airport to bring flights from Yuma to Denver.

During the meeting Monday, board members voted unanimously to approve $20,000 from Yuma County that shows commitment to the development.

Yuma County Airport Authority executive director Gladys Brown said the agency intends to apply for a $700,000 grant for Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD). The grant would come from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The grant is designed to help small communities address air service and airfare issues, according to the department’s website.

Yuma County Airport Authority had applied for the grant before but was denied due to lack of cash matching pledges.

The $20,000 grant pledged will be kept in reserve with the $700,000 and would be used if the airline does poorly while providing the new service.

An airline intended to strike a deal with the airport in the past but pulled the deal after considering Yuma County’s unemployment rate.

“We missed the first set with this group because they were looking into entering 15 new markets, and I will tell you as a county, one of the things that pulled them away from us, was when you go online and look at the unemployment numbers. They said that made them take us off the table,” Brown said.

Brown added Denver or San Francisco is a place of interest for all residents including those traveling from Mexico.

“They are absolutely looking for a place of destination like a Denver or San Francisco…where they can go to enjoy a resort or wonderful event,” Brown said.

The board agreed to support the motion and allocate $20,000 from its contingency fund.

The airport believes this flight will be popular and successful if implemented.

The airport will begin offering connecting flights to Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport starting March 2019.