Hagerstown airport to get $1M in COVID relief
Credit: The Herald-Mail Media, Mike Lewis
Hagerstown Regional Airport will receive more than $1 million in COVID-19 relief money, according to U.S. lawmakers.
“We will utilize the funds for operational costs, specifically wages and benefits, just as we did with the CARES Act funds (last year),” Airport Director Garrison Plessinger wrote in an email.
In April 2020, the federal government announced more than $107 million in COVID-19 economic relief to support airports across Maryland.
At that time, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provided $1.1 million for the Hagerstown airport, based on a Federal Aviation Administration formula, to help with operational costs such as payroll and utilities, Plessinger said.
The new round of funding was announced last week by U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Anthony G. Brown, Jamie Raskin and David Trone, all Democrats. Trone represents Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Washington County.
The latest aid totals $23.6 million for Maryland airports and comes from the Coronavirus Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, which Congress passed in December, according to a news release.
The money “will provide our local airports with critical resources to maintain operations and prepare for an increase in commercial travel,” the lawmakers said in the release.
The funds will help “enhance cleaning and sanitization efforts and offset pandemic-related costs for personnel, operations and debt services,” the release states.
This round includes:
• $21.3 million for BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in Anne Arundel County.
• $1.1 million for Hagerstown Regional Airport — Richard A. Henson Field in Washington County.
• $1.02 million for Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport in Wicomico County.
• $91,162 for Martin State Airport in Baltimore County.
• $57,162 for Frederick Municipal Airport in Frederick County.
• $23,000 for Tipton Airport in Anne Arundel County.
• $13,000 for Garrett County Airport in Garrett County.
Last month, Washington County announced the resumption of Allegiant Air’s seasonal flights at Hagerstown Regional Airport.
Flights to Myrtle Beach International Airport will begin May 28 and run through Sept. 6, the county announced. Flights to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will begin June 3 and run through Aug. 15.
Allegiant offers flights from Hagerstown to Orlando (Fla.) Sanford International Airport year-round, and it will expand that schedule this year.
The airline has added an Orlando flight on Wednesdays in addition to its normal Monday and Friday flights. The Wednesday flights will begin June 9 and run through Aug. 11, the county announced.
