During today’s regularly scheduled, monthly meeting, the DRA board announced that DBQ Air will receive funding as a part of the DRA's Mission Grant funding process in 2024. A summary of the award is as follows:
Recipient: DBQ Air
Award: $100,000
Project: Flights for Economic Prosperity
Overview:
Access to local air service is not a luxury; it is an economic imperative. The absence of daily commercial service in Dubuque to a major hub is a significant business impediment stifling current and future economic growth opportunities for the local region. Likewise, employees expect access to local air service as an amenity where they live, work and play.
Flights for Economic Prosperity will support carrier attraction efforts by building a financial foundation that helps fund critical minimum revenue guarantees, which is required for new service/route development. It is imperative that Dubuque be able to demonstrate its financial commitment to supporting new service with any/all potential carriers. We are fortunate to have been awarded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant (SCASDP), which gives us a tremendous advantage in attracting carriers. Dubuque is now in serious consideration for re-establishing air service to the community. However, the community cannot rely solely on this revenue source alone, as it may not be enough to secure new service and/or sustain it over the long-term. To protect its economic prosperity, Dubuque must financially and conceptually position the community for on-going route development/new service.
In summary, Flights for Economic Prosperity will support these efforts in developing a long-term and perpetual funding stream for on-going route development, thus ensuring that the community is never in this position again. Given this, funds awarded through the Mission Grant will be used as supplemental support for minimum revenue guarantees, marketing and educational resources, customer service development and catchment area attraction.
“As an organization, DRA has a long, proud history of funding projects and initiatives that have had significant impacts on the community,” said Alex Dixon, President and CEO of DRA and Q Casino + Resort. "DBQ Air is at the forefront of addressing a timely, critical need for the entire Greater Dubuque area, so we are pleased to be able to provide critical funding for their efforts.”\
DRA is the non-profit entity that owns and operates Q Casino + Resort and is the co-licensee for Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque. Since 1985, the DRA has awarded 5,000-plus grants – totaling more than $52 million – to over 1,500 organizations in the tri-state area (Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois). DRA’s commitment to the community is made possible by proceeds that come from both Q Casino + Resort and the Diamond Jo Casino – both of which attract tens of thousands of visitors to Dubuque each year from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and beyond.