Sioux Falls might get direct flight to Seattle

The Sioux Falls Regional Airport hopes to start offering service to Seattle thanks to a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The airport was approached by airlines several months ago about the possibility of running a Sioux Falls to Seattle route, executive director Dan Letellier said.

“In order to make it happen they would need a risk abatement program to offset potential losses in the first year of service,” he said.

The Airport Authority applied for a federal grant, which included a local match of $250,000 from the Forward Sioux Falls organization.

“We received strong support from our Congressional delegation, which really made a difference in our selection,” Letellier said.

The airport will let airlines know the grant is available and hopes to have an agreement in place in the next few months, he said.

The Department of Transportation received 49 eligible applications for the air service grants from 29 states. Eleven were awarded.