October 31, 2024

Wyden, Merkley Announce $600,000 for Rogue Valley International Medford Airport

Federal investment will support the new direct flight connecting Southern Oregon with Dallas-Fort Worth

Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $600,000 for the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport  to support the expansion of service to Dallas-Fort Worth.

“Making sure our regional airports have the support they need to keep Oregonians connected and moving is essential for the local economy,” Wyden said. “I applaud this federal investment to Rogue Valley International Medford Airport, and will continue to fight for more resources for airports and infrastructure upgrades across Oregon.”

“Oregon’s regional airports serve as vital hubs for our communities – supporting local businesses, connecting travelers to world-class recreational opportunities, and providing essential lifelines during natural disasters,” Merkley said. “This federal funding will put Oregon’s Medford-Rogue Valley International Airport in a position to expand its service to Dallas-Ft. Worth and fill additional staffing needs for this new route, connecting Oregonians to more of the U.S.” 

The $600,000 investment from the Department of Transportation will be used to create a revenue guarantee and associated marketing plan to recruit, initiate, and support new service between Medford and Dallas-Fort Worth.

“The Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport is excited to have been awarded a Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) Grant to support new service between MFR and DFW. This grant funding is an instrumental step toward creating this connection; however, it’s important to note that airlines are not bound to initiate service simply due to an airport receiving a grant award. That said, we are encouraged by American Airlines’ interest and we are confident this funding underscores the strong demand and our community’s support for a direct MFR-DFW route. We are optimistic that the airlines will recognize the opportunity to enhance connectivity between our two regions. We look forward to the potential for this valuable new service to benefit travelers and support local economic growth in the near future, and the Airport is committed to working with our airline partners to make this route a reality,” said Amber Judd, Director of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport.

Wyden and Merkley have both pushed for more resources for Oregon’s airports. In September, Wyden and Merkley announced $6.41 million for the Rogue Valley International Medford Airport and $4 million for Prineville Airport to extend its taxiways and reduce congestion. This October, Merkley and Wyden along with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle announced $5 million for the terminal reconstruction project at Eugene’s Mahlon Sweet Airport.