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Direct flights from QC Aiport to D.C. to start in October

By the end of October, people in the Quad Cities will be able to book a United Airlines flight directly to Washington D.C. In a press conference on Monday, Quad...

By the end of October, people in the Quad Cities will be able to book a United Airlines flight directly to Washington D.C.

In a press conference on Monday, Quad City officials announced the first, 50-passenger flight will come into the Quad City International airport on October 25, 2015 and will fly back to the capital the following day.

The Chamber is under a three-year contract with United Airlines, with the federal and state government subsidizing the entire project.

Paul Rumler, Chief Economic Development Officer for the Quad Cities Chamber, said they hope the flight will help secure the Rock Island Arsenal against future budget cuts and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).

"Some of the issues that come up during BRACs are out of our control so when we're looking at that checklist of things we can actually influence, this is one that we said as a community we could prioritize and see through," Rumler said. "In future BRAC conversations, when the military and congress decides which bases to keep open and which to close, we think this gives us that advantage to have a direct flight to D.C."

The announcement comes at a critical time after President Obama announced earlier this summer the U.S. Army will need to make sweeping cuts at its bases across the country.

"Our link back to Washington, D.C. is key and essential for us to go about the work we do on behalf of the Army and the nation," said Michael Tucker, Commanding General of the First Army on the Rock Island Arsenal. "Today's a big win for us."

The flight could also provide a boost to local tourism.

"Our goal is to induce demand like we've seen with other destinations. We know right now that about 10,000 people fly between all of the D.C. based airports and the Quad Cities. So we'd like to see the majority of them switch to this direct flight," Rumler said.

It still remains to be seen whether or not the flight will be able to sustain itself. The Chamber will reassess the flight's profitability at the end of its three-year contract with United Airlines.

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