TUPELO — Greenville and Tupelo officials are uniting to try to promote the air service that the cities share.
Both cities want travelers to take a new look at Silver Airways, which provides 18 weekly flights from Atlanta through Tupelo to Greenville, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports.
Greenville Mayor John Cox and other officials flew to Tupelo, meeting with Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton Thursday at the airline’s prompting.
Boardings are down 44 percent from last year in Tupelo, and 50 percent in Greenville. Both cities had been served by Delta Air Lines flights to Memphis. Delta left and Silver assumed the federally-subsidized service.
Federal aid to airports is based on the number of travelers, so fewer boardings means less money.
“We have lost a great deal of funding and are trying to encourage people to fly local,” said Joshua Abramson, executive director of Tupelo Regional Airport.
Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton said Silver Airways has worked out early problems, including mechanical breakdowns and reservation troubles. Tupelo and Greenville officials say Atlanta provides more connections for flights than Memphis.
