Fort Wayne International Airport will soon become home to Shuttle America Corporation, bringing the potential for up to 174 jobs over the next three
years. The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority approved terms of a four-year lease agreement at the Authority Board Meeting this afternoon.
Shuttle America, which began operations in 1998, provides customers with seamless connections to destinations around the world on US Airways.

"We are excited about our move to Fort Wayne and the good things that will result for our corporation and the community," said Shuttle America
 CEO Scott L. Durgin. "Shuttle America is a growing regional airline, and we're delighted that our team will continue implementing the growth plan from  our new home in Allen County, Indiana."

 An existing facility at 11102 West Perimeter Road will be significantly improved to house the new Shuttle America operations. A small portion of the building currently hosts maintenance operations for Chautauqua Airlines. Shuttle America is among the holdings of Greenwich, Connecticut-based
Wexford Capital LLC. Shuttle America is currently based in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, but will move its headquarters to Fort Wayne by September 1.

 "This announcement is the culmination of several weeks of discussion with Shuttle America, and we're excited to announce successful completion of
those negotiations," stated Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard. "Not only does the community have the opportunity to retain the 40 Chautauqua
employees, but we have the opportunity to add as many as 134 new jobs over the next few years. We're extremely pleased to welcome Shuttle
America to Fort Wayne."

Shuttle America will employ at least 104 workers by the end of 2002. The average annual salary for those jobs will exceed $35,000. Positions will
range from pilots and flight attendants to aircraft maintenance and administrative workers.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance, under a new marketing contract with the Airport Authority, coordinated the community's interaction with Shuttle America. Details of the project include:

• An investment of $250,000 into the Perimeter Road facility by the Airport Authority

• An investment of $100,000 into the building by Shuttle America

• Up to $236,000 for infrastructure improvements split between the Indiana Department of Commerce and Allen County

• Lease assistance to the Airport Authority of $180,000 over three years by the City of Fort Wayne

• An $85,000 Indiana Skills Enhancement Fund grant from the Indiana Department of Commerce for employee training

• Worker recruitment, screening and training help through JobWorks and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development

• The provision of classroom space by Indiana Institute of Technology for specialized training needs 

The Indiana Department of Commerce awards Skills Enhancement Fund grants to Indiana companies that undertake capital investment projects. The
grants help defray the costs of training new and current employees in transferable and company-specific skills necessary to support these projects.  The Industrial Development Grant Fund provides assistance to local units of government for off-site infrastructure projects in support of new
business development.

Shuttle America will continue to maintain and fly SAAB 340A Turboprop aircraft. In March, Saab Aircraft Leasing announced plans to lease eighteen
 340As to Shuttle America by the end of 2002. Also in March, Shuttle America announced new service for a number of Midwest and Eastern United States cities including Cleveland, OH; Hagerstown, MD; Indianapolis; Lexington, KY; Nashville, TN; Toledo, OH; Lynchburg, VA; Roanoke, VA;
Williamsport, PA and Washington, DC/Dulles. Airports near Boston, Philadelphia, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, MA and Trenton, New Jersey are among the other points of departure and destination served by Shuttle America.

 "Fort Wayne International Airport continues to grow, and Shuttle America fits nicely into that growth strategy," said C.T. "Skip" Miller, Director of
Airports for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. "Scott Durgin is a proven regional airline executive. Shuttle America Corporation and this
community will benefit greatly from the presence of Scott and his team in Fort Wayne." Durgin was named CEO of Shuttle America in December. He
was part of a dynamic management team that was largely credited with the significant growth of another regional carrier-Mesaba Airlines-in the 1990s.

 Individuals interested in applying for positions with Shuttle America may submit a resume at the offices of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and JobWorks. The joint DWD/JobWorks office is located at 201 East Rudisill Boulevard (inside the Rudisill Plaza, at the
intersection of Rudisill Boulevard and Clinton Street). Interested individuals can also e-mail resumes to [email protected].