Central Wisconsin Airport.
MOSINEE, WI (WSAU-WAOW) — The Central Wisconsin Airport is one of 25 airports to receive federal funding.
The Department of Transportation has announced $16.9 million dollars in grant funding for small community airports, and CWA in Mosinee is the only Wisconsin airport to revive funding.
DOT is providing CWA with $900,000 dollars of federal money to help attract new airlines to the area.
The airport was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and United Airlines’ decision to stop providing flights from the airport.
Administrators with CWA say the grant is a big win for the area – but it’s not the finish line, as they still need to find a replacement airline.
“Consistent with feedback we have received from the community,” Assistant Airport Director Mark Cihlar said. “The application is specific to a low-cost and or ultra-low-cost carrier that would start new service from the Central Wisconsin Airport to a Florida destination, either the Orlando area or southwest Florida, as well as the (Arizona) Phoenix-Mesa area ”
While DOT is providing nearly one million dollars to the project other groups are also pitching in. Marathon County is matching $195,000 and Portage County $105,000.
Additional money is coming from airport fees and some waved fees add another 300,000 dollars.
All together, if CWA can strike a business deal with a new airline, they will have a total of 1.5 million dollars to play with.
During a Marathon County Board meeting in March, county leaders voted unanimously to support the potential expansion project.
During that meeting, Airport Director Brian Grefe said he has been speaking with as many airlines as possible to see if they can get one interested.
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