Rell: No money for Tweed

New Haven (WTNH) - Gov. Jodi Rell says she has no money for New Haven's Tweed Airport, and that could lead to the airport closing down.

Tweed New Haven Airport's executive director told News Channel 8 in a recent interview they have enough support to get through June, but beyond that the future of the regional airport is up in the air.

The airport's authority is pleading for more than one million dollars to keep the airport operating, but the governor says there just isn't any money in her budget.

"I don't have a million and a half dollars and I am looking everywhere to save money," the governor said Tuesday. "If we can find cuts in other places to save money, I'll more than welcome the opportunity to add the money back."

Tweed New Haven Airport serves some 40,000 passengers every year and puts in an estimated $20 million to the local economy, but it's run by the City of New Haven and a private management company which need state aid to keep things going.

The airport is asking the state for a million and a half dollars. The City of New Haven is already being asked to come up with $160,000 to keep Tweed operating until June.

So what's next? At this point it's a waiting game. The City of New Haven would be solely responsible after June if lawmakers in Hartford put no money for Tweed in the final state budget, which means the airport could close.