WARREN — The Trumbull County commissioners on Wednesday approved sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program supporting the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport’s funding application to support the launch of a new network air service.

Although the Youngstown market shows strong long-term potential, the initial costs and risks associated with starting a new service are significant, according to the commissioners’ resolution. The grant would help mitigate the startup challenges, allow for deeper market analysis and provide the financial stability needed for a sustainable service launch.

Both the Trumbull and Mahoning County Commissioners on Monday received tours of both the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which reaffirmed the need to support the efforts of the Western Reserve Port Authority to bring a regional airline into the area.

“They have had millions of dollars invested in the runway, but the overall airport itself — including the private aircraft that goes in there, the training school, the PIA, where they do repair aircraft, and then the military on top of it — really opened my eyes to what goes on there,” Commissioner Denny Malloy said. “We need a new tower. It was built in the 1960s and the 1970s.”

Malloy said the Western Reserve Port Authority is working hard to bring in a new airline.

The commissioners said the demographics and the data for attracting a new airline to the area appear to be good.

“There has been an increase in the number of private jets wanting to be housed and serviced here,” he continued. “We are possibly in the position of getting an air carrier that wants to go from here to Chicago or from here to Florida.”

“Our people do fly,” Malloy said. “Our competition is Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Akron. We have the best deal, but are surrounded by the grand competition.”

Commissioner Rick Hernandez called the air base and the airport representative of a city.

“The employment we get out of that is significant,” Hernandez said. “I think there are more than 2,000 employees there over the weekends. There are 400 to 500 employees at any given time.”

Hernandez said the WRPA works on a daily basis to bring a new airline to the airport and described an unspecified airline being courted by the WRPA that has shown interest in the area.

“My understanding is there is a reason for a bit of a lapse,” Hernandez said. “The (Iran) war has put a heavy toll on fuel costs.

“We were told that airlines often run on profit margins as low as 3%, so there often are concerns about employee and fuel costs,” he added.

Commissioner Tony Bernard described the airbase as an economic spur for the county.

“Without the base, we definitely would have a decline in our economic growth,” he said. “The Port Authority, along with the Mahoning and Trumbull County elected officials, is working very hard to get a carrier.”

Bernard said the WRPA has data that justify the area getting a new carrier.

“Hopefully, we will see a new carrier there soon, which will enhance the growth of Trumbull County,” Bernard said. “We have two new C-130s there, and we are supposed to receive two to four more in June.”