Rochester International Airport Receives $850,000 Federal Grant to Recruit New Air Service

Rochester, MN (August 3, 2022) — Rochester International Airport (RST) has been awarded a Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) grant from the Department of Transportation. The $850,000 grant will be used to recruit new nonstop service to a western hub from RST.

“We are thrilled with the news of this important award and want to thank the Department of Transportation for recognizing the critical needs of our region when it comes to air travel,” said John Reed, executive director. “Rochester International Airport’s air service was hard-hit from the pandemic; the ongoing shortage of pilots only exacerbates the issue. We have strong demand for air travel in our region, pushing load factors over 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic. We are suffering from lack of capacity. We recognize the historically challenging time our airline partners continue to face.  We are working hard to recruit service to replace some of our lost capacity.” said Reed.

The SCASDP grant is an important resource that will be used to help recruit air service for the needs of the community and the region. A SCASDP grant was awarded to RST in 2020 for successful recruitment of new air service with United Airlines nonstop daily flights to Denver operated by Sky West Airlines. In 2012, RST was awarded a SCASDP grant for successful recruitment of nonstop service to Delta Air Lines hub in Atlanta. The federal grant is not a guarantee of new air service. Ultimately the airlines make decisions on the routes they will serve.

About Rochester International Airport

Rochester International Airport (RST) is owned by the City of Rochester and operated by the Rochester Airport Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mayo Clinic. RST is currently served

daily by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Sun Country, which collectively offer flights to Chicago, Phoenix, Fort Myers, and Minneapolis. RST provides air service to Southeast MN and

border regions of Iowa and Wisconsin. Stay connected to RST at FlyRST.com and on Facebook/Rochester Airport and Twitter @flyrst.

###