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Economy

Flights Begin Between QC and DC

Quad City Airport
Local leaders prepare for their first flight to Washington, D.C.

Years of hard work have finally paid off for the Quad City Airport and local business leaders. Over the weekend, United Express began daily, non-stop round trips from here to Washington DC, and Dulles International Airport.

Monday morning, the airport held a send-off celebration before the scheduled departure at 8:20 am, including a water cannon salute as the plane left the gate. 

Local leaders have been trying to get this service to help the Rock Island Arsenal, but also to help travelers from this area access a major hub on the east coast. An estimated 10,000 people per year now travel between the Quad Cities and Washington DC.

The new, non-stop service is made possible by funding from federal, state, and local business contributions. 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.