Initiative to grow commercial air service to State College unveiled at the State College Regional Air Service Summit, a CBICC Voice of Business event.
CENTRE COUNTY, PA – October 14, 2025 – The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC), the Centre County Airport Authority (CCAA), The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB), and The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) today announced the creation of the State College Air Service Alliance (“the Alliance), a formal partnership to maintain and grow air service at the State College Regional Airport. The Alliance will work collaboratively to strengthen access to airline networks, drive job creation, and support economic development, tourism, and quality of life in Centre County.
The Alliance was unveiled at the State College Air Service Summit, part of CBICC’s Voice of Business series, where speakers provided insights into the current state of regional air service and incentives that attract and retain new air carriers. In addition to representatives from CBICC, CCAA, HVAB, and PSU, featured speakers included Mike Carroll, Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Tim Sieber, Managing Director of Volaire Aviation Consulting.
“The State College Air Service Alliance was formed to address an important need for our community’s economic development and quality of life: air service,” shared Greg Scott, President and CEO of CBICC. “Our organizations will work together to retain existing service and attract new airline partners and routes that enhance connectivity to national and international destinations, and support tourism and business growth through increased travel options for residents and visitors.”
Goals of the Alliance include unifying advocacy efforts for regional air service, providing coordinated community and business outreach to demonstrate need for air service, pursuing marketing strategies that attract and retain carriers, and exploring and securing public, private, and grant-based funding opportunities to support incentives for new service.
“Through the Alliance, we aim to strengthen State College Regional Airport’s position to attract new routes, retain existing ones, and expand travel options for businesses and residents,” said Ralph Stewart, Executive Director of CCAA. “We’re grateful to have community partners who share our commitment to strengthening regional connectivity and who are ready to lead initiatives that incentivize airlines to choose our airport.”
A key initiative of the Alliance, the Fly State College Fund, was also unveiled at the event. The fund will help ensure that the community remains competitive in securing new air service by providing revenue guarantees, marketing support, and financial incentives that go beyond what the Airport alone can offer prospective carriers.
“To attract new air service, we must be able to respond quickly when opportunities arise,” said Scott. “The Fly State College Fund allows us to raise capital locally and demonstrate that our community is invested in increasing service at State College Regional Airport.”
The Alliance has set an initial goal of raising $500,000 for the Fly State College Fund and has already secured $130,000 in commitments from partners including CBICC, CCAA, HVAB, PSU, and local municipalities.
The Alliance also launched a “Fly Local” campaign to incentivize local travelers to fly from State College Regional Airport.
“When residents and business choose to fly from State College, we strengthen demand, reduce leakage to other airports, and send a clear message to airlines that our market is worth investing in,” said Stewart. “Every ticket purchased at State College Regional Airport shows passenger demand and helps improve our long-term air service.”
As Centre County’s tourism and destination marketing agency, HVAB will lead promotional campaigns and gather visitor insights to help identify markets with the highest potential for new service.
“Targeted promotion to bring in new airline partners and desired connections is an important part of the Alliance’s mission,” said Fritz Smith, President and CEO of HVAB. “By analyzing data on demand, market opportunities, and competitor performance, our marketing strategy intends to strengthen connectivity for business and leisure travel and drive Happy Valley’s tourism economy.”
To ensure the Alliance’s success, each partner organization will play a clear and complementary role. CCAA will spearhead engagement with carriers, manage airline incentive programs, and coordinate with federal and state aviation entities; CBICC will lead business community engagement, identify corporate travel demand, and coordinate private-sector support, serving as the fiscal agent for the Fly State College Fund; HVAB will drive marketing and tourism strategies to support visitor growth and airline interest; and PSU will provide institutional insight, travel demand data, and strategic collaboration to support the Alliance’s mission.
“We look forward to collaborating closely with Alliance partners to strengthen air service in State College and streamline travel for Penn State students, staff, faculty, visitors, and community members,” said Mike Stefan, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at PSU.
More information and details on how businesses and community members can get involved are available at www.flystatecollege.com.
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About the State College Air Service Alliance
The State College Air Service Alliance is a partnership between the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County, the Centre County Airport Authority, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and The Pennsylvania State University to maintain and grow air service at the State College Regional Airport. The Alliance works collaboratively to retain and attract commercial air service, enhance connectivity to major destinations, support regional economic development and tourism, and improve quality of life through expanded travel opportunities.