The US Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) awarded "Wheels up Palmdale," a coalition which includes the City of Palmdale, the County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports $900,000 in federal grants for the development of passenger service at LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (PMD). SCASDP is a program that was established in 2000 to secure enhancements that will be responsive to a community’s air transportation needs and whose benefits can be expected to continue after the initial expenditures. SCASDP authorizes the United States Transportation Secretary to make a maximum of 40 grants each year.

The coalition and a number of additional public and private sector partners also pledged an additional $1.15 million in cash contributions and $3.58 million in other contributions such as advertising, marketing support and airport terminal rent abatements.

The grant will be used to initiate 50-seat regional jet service at PMD by developing a revenue guarantee program to support the initial phase of United Airlines air service. United Airlines will use the revenue guarantee program for non-stop service to its hub in San Francisco. The revenue guarantee will be a short-term program tailored to “jumpstart” the new regional jet service by mitigating an airline’s risk.

A secondary goal to which grants funds will be dedicated is to develop awareness within the local community that PMD is again open for business beginning with resumption of flight operations in June.

PMD also represents a critical component to the comprehensive regional air transportation plan for the Los Angeles region as well as all of Southern California. Re-introduction of scheduled service at PMD will alleviate air traffic congestion at LAX as well as surface transportation leading to LAX and Burbank on critically impacted roadways.

Opportunities for airlines and air-related businesses to construct new facilities on leased property are available.

Meanwhile, an agreement between Los Angeles World Airports and United States Air Force permits commercial aircraft flights on adjacent Plant 42, deferring runway construction on LAWA property until Plant 42 reaches its commercial capacity.