Gary airport lands cash and new carrier
A flurry of activity in one of the Midwest's fastest-growing airfields has seen Gary/Chicago International Airport gain a substantial grant and a new airline.
SkyValue USA, a Florida-based carrier, has announced that it will begin providing "sunshine service" from the Indiana airport from December 1.
Destinations on the initial SkyValue USA schedule include Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Orlando with fares beginning at $79 one-way, excluding taxes. It is the first commercial passenger service out of Gary since Hooters Air left the airport last year.
More good news for the region came in the form of a $20 million grant from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority to help the airport improve its facilities.
An expansion and extension of the runway network and environmental remediation are among the improvements to be made as part of the $90 million project.
Officials at the airfield, which lies 25 miles from downtown Chicago, are drawing comparisons with Newark Liberty International, which grew substantially by serving the New York City metropolis.
Newark is now firmly established as the Big Apple's third airport and those in charge of Gary's push for expansion hope to emulate its north-eastern contemporary's success by positioning it alongside Midway and O'Hare in serving the United States' third-largest city.
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