The Leflore County Board of Supervisors approved an application Monday for a $500,000 federal grant aimed at bringing a small charter airline to Greenwood Leflore Airport.
The board also promised $15,000 cash in support, with the condition that the Greenwood City Council do likewise.
Members of the City Council had approved the grant but had not promised any funding because they were not told it was needed, said Greenwood Mayor Sheriel Perkins, who was present at the meeting.
State Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, who also is president of the City Council, represented the council at Monday's meeting.
The grant application is due Saturday. The City Council meets on Tuesday. For the council to approve a match of the county's funds, a special session of the City Council will have to be called, Jordan said.
At an April 9 meeting, the Board of Supervisors passed a measure to make any contracts entered into by the Greenwood-Leflore Airport Board subject to a governing body of representatives from the supervisors and the City Council.
The City Council also approved the measure, making it effective.
The application for the Federal Aviation Administration grant program was presented by Greenwood-Leflore Airport consultant James Sirhall of Airport Development Group Inc.
Sirhall said that although local matching funds were not required to obtain the grant, they would make the package look more attractive in the selection process. All of the successful grants that ADG has put together contained a promise of extra funds, he said. "We believe that it would make a better application if we could include some local funds," Sirhall said.
Board members expressed concern that the county would lose money if the application was not approved. If the airport is awarded the grant, the county will have to put up the $15,000, Sirhall said. If not, it will not lose the money, he said.
The FAA will make awards in June.
Sirhall said his group believes the $500,000 in grant money would be enough to attract an airline to commit to come to the airport for six months. The grant would allow the charter to come on a shared risk, and the airport can promise to cover the shortfall of the new operation until self-sufficient, he said.
If the airline did not achieve a profit by the end of six months, it could cover its losses, the community could cover its losses or the airline could leave, he said.
Sirhall's strategic plan for the airport recommends that the potential charter fly to Atlanta.
Other options are Jackson and Memphis, but those cities have higher fares and fewer flight choices, he said.
Another goal is to lease the south end of the airport to The Memphis Group, a company that dismantles aircraft. That move would bring in about $300,000 in revenue.
"They're our primary target," Sirhall said.
Also, the plan has a goal of obtaining $100,000 of in-kind money by pre-selling tickets, Sirhall said.
Additionally at the board meeting, Dennis Barlow was appointed to serve on the airport board. Board member
Other members are Granville Jordan, Gerone Hearn, and Elizabeth Evans, who is chair.
Richard Dillon stepped down from the airport board in 2006, and Bill Clay resigned April 10.
