Pocatello Airport applying for grant in attempt to secure Denver flight

The City of Pocatello is applying for a U.S. Dept. of Transporation grant in the amount of $800,000 in an attempt to secure a flight to Denver.

The SCASD (Small Community Air Service Development) grant would allow the Airport to provide revenue guarantee money and marketing funds to an airline who would provide the Denver service.

But community support plays a huge part in the grant process and must be addressed before the application is submitted.

“They like to see a public-private partnership where the community supports the service, usually that comes in the form of monetary donations,” airport management assistant Kristy Heinz explained.

Those donations, which would be added to the grant funds, would allow the airport to increase the amount of marketing funds and revenue guarantee.

In this case, 10 percent, or $80,000, is what has been recommended to give the application a better chance of approval.

The Pocatello Regional Airport has been searching for air service expansion opportunities for several years, with Denver as a top target.

Currently, there are three flights each day out of the airport, all of which go to Salt Lake City.

The deadline to apply for the grant is July 15 and Heinz said it typically takes about two months for the awards to be announced.

But as Heinz noted, even if the airport is awarded the grant, it’s only the first step in a long progress.

“Then you have to develop an agreement with the airline, assuming that they do have crew and aircraft available,” Heinz said.

Since the airport is looking at dealing with United, a separate station would have to be set up. Heinz expects that would take between four to six months.

And even if all of these things fall into place, it could be spring of next year before any new services start.

The airport hasn’t applied for a SCASD grant since 2011. Heinz said the airport really only applies for things that have a good chance of success.

“If the service does not succeed then at the end of that grant term what most likely will happen is the airline will terminate service and everyone spending a lot of money and a lot of time and effort and then the service goes away,” Heinz said.

Additionally, with SCASD grants, you can’t apply for a grant with the same purpose more than once in a ten-year span, “so that’s why you want to be careful when you apply for these,” Heinz said.

Should the grant be awarded to Pocatello, the airport could once again have two airlines, something that Heinz believes would have a multitude of benefits.

“It’s great, for not only for service opportunities, schedule opportunities, connecting opportunities, but, of course, to have two airlines, hopefully, would keep fares competitive and just provide a lot more opportunities for our travelers.”

Heinz emphasized that nothing is final and that just because they’re applying doesn’t mean they’ll get it. And even if they do get the grant, it doesn’t mean they’ll actually get the agreement with the airline.

“We’re always looking for these opportunities and so we’re excited to have this one present itself so we can pursue it,” Heinz added.