Garden City Airport Could Lose Federal Funding

The Garden City Regional Airport might face some turbulence if it doesn’t attract more customers.

Airport officials say one more slow month this year might cost the airport about $1 million in federal funds.

Aviation director Rachelle Powell says the airport had fewer than 7,340 passengers in September. The airport needs at least 10,000 passengers before the end of the year to secure the federal funding.

Powell says federal funding would drop to $150,000 annually if that goal isn’t met. She says that would put several planned airport improvements at risk.

The airport has been working to attract more customers since it lost one of two daily round-trip flights to Kansas City last year.