Jackson, Mississippi Airport Pursues Nonstop Chicago Route; $1 Million Federal Grant Aids Negotiations
Airport officials in Jackson, Mississippi, are talking with airlines about bringing nonstop flights to Chicago, with a $1 million federal grant to help support the effort. Jackson Municipal Airport Authority CEO Rosa Beckett outlined the push on Monday, October 26, telling the authority's Board of Commissioners that officials are pursuing service between Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport and either of Chicago's two major airports.
Beckett emphasized that no service is confirmed and there is no start date. Her team held a virtual meeting with an airline the previous week and planned an in-person meeting at an airline's headquarters on Tuesday, October 27. After the meeting, the airport's Director of Communications, LSherie Dean, declined to identify the airlines, saying she did not want to jeopardize the discussions.
Beckett said the airport authority received the $1 million grant to help attract Chicago service. Originally, the funding was limited to a route connecting Jackson with Chicago O'Hare International Airport; on October 26, officials received approval to pursue service to either O'Hare or Midway International Airport, expanding their options in talks with airlines. Dean compared the grant's role to support for a startup business, helping cushion the early years as a new route gets established. "It makes us look very, very attractive to the airlines," Dean said.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 杰克逊市中心全景。图片：chmeredith，CC BY 2.0，取自维基共享资源。
