The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $500,000 grant to Santa Fe to help its airport add direct flights to Phoenix.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said last week Santa Fe was one of nine small communities to win a portion of $5.15 million in grants to help improve local air service.
Santa Fe Municipal Airport will receive the money over two years for marketing an American Airlines flight to Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport.
The grant is part of the Small Community Air Service Development Program.
It comes as business officials are pushing a plan to promote the Santa Fe Municipal Airport to draw more traffic to northern New Mexico.
