La Crosse’s airport seeks $250K county grant to bring Delta Airlines back

The La Crosse Regional Airport is seeking financial support from La Crosse County to possibly bringing Delta Airlines back with some assurances.

The airport is requesting $250,000 from the La Crosse County Board, which is on Thursday’s agenda. That is part of the airport’s goal of raising $1.5 million to incentivize Delta to come back to the region. Right now, only American Airlines flies out of La Crosse.

The county is one of several potential sources of funding for what is known as a Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG). This money serves as a safety net for airlines like Delta, ensuring financial backing from local government. If ticket sales fall short of projections, the airline can draw from the MRG. However, if the route meets or exceeds expectations, the unused funds are returned to donors.

Tripp has been working with an air service group to establish the MRG fund.

“Airlines look for this kind of financial assurance when we try to establish a new route,” Trill said. “It helps mitigate the risk of underperformance and provides a safety net for any shortfall.”

Tripp spoke Wednesday at an airport ceremony, introducing new shuttle buses that will run between La Crosse and Minneapolis.