On Wednesday the Tallahassee city commission will consider the implementation of the Air Service Incentive & Capacity Improvements program.
On May 8, 2025, the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency (BPIA) approved a Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget and five (5)-Year Capital Improvement Plan that included new economic development funding to recruit new air service to the community. As part of its FY 2026 Budget, the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) established the Air Service Incentive & Capacity Improvements program under the Incentives, Grants, and Programs master project, with a total allocation of $10,050,000 funded through community-sponsored sources through Fiscal Year 2040.
The item before the commission takes the next necessary step to implement the incentive program by formalizing the administrative process necessary to carry out the delegation of approval authority to the City Manager related to service incentive funds for air service development, improvements, including Minimum Revenue Guarantees (MRGs).
An MRG is a financial risk-mitigation tool used by most communities and airports to attract new air service. It guarantees an airline a minimum revenue amount for qualifying new service or seasonal service. This support helps mitigate early-stage financial uncertainty with the goal of creating long-term, self-sustaining air service that benefits the community. Granting this authority allows the City to act quickly and in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements to support air service development.
The agenda item notes, “The expeditious deployment of these incentives is critical in a highly competitive and time-sensitive airline recruitment environment and directly supports the City’s economic development goals, and its approved five (5)-year strategic goals for the Airport, by enhancing the City’s ability to expand air service options for residents, businesses, and visitors.”
City to Consider Air Service Incentive Program added by Staff on
View all posts by Staff →
It didn’t work with Jet Blue.
Tired of Tallahassee Airport being a hub for the Lawyers, Lobbyists and Legislators. They don’t pay for their own plane tickets, therefore the airlines can jack up the rates. We regular folks would love to take advantage of the convenience of having an airport in our city, but we can’t. The corrupt dirtbags that run this county/city won’t let it be. They continue to fleece us all for as much as they can. It is more economical to drive to Jacksonville, Panama City or Pensacola and stay the night to take an early flight then to fly out of home town Tallahassee. Isn’t that sad? Not sad, disgusting. Tallahassee is wrought with corrupt self serving idiots.
What “financial risk-mitigation tools are the other 4 Panhandle airports using…because they each (Pensacola, Destin, Fort Walton, Panama City) have +/-2M passengers EACH.
TLH doesn’t have beaches, but maybe we need more flights to TPA, MIA, MCO, and FLL, (cruise ports), and maybe to JFK or LAX for international flights.
Yes, folks from here drive to Tampa, Miami, and Orlando, and Fr. Lauderdale, and so do I, but parking at these cruise locations is now $40+ per day.
Make it cheaper to fly there and take Uber to the port or to the business district.
Delta and American have really upped their game regarding service here since Silver pulled out of Tallahassee, and I am loyal to each one, BUT it is really an inconvenience to pay to take a flight from TLH and have to pay extra to take a connecting flight somewhere else.
More direct flights from Tallahassee International Airport, please.
I understand “supply and demand” and I’m not smart enough to know the demographics of the typical TLH flyer.
I am also not a huge fan of BPIA, but maybe they, and the city can create something good here that will attract and keep folks/businesses interested in visiting Tallahassee.