NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Tweed New Haven Airport may not be a bustling airport, but travelers said it's valuable.

"It's very convenient," said Lita Wright. "It's small, easy and reliable."

Wright said she takes a plane from Tweed to Philadelphia then jumps on a plane to Europe.

"You can get to London from Tweed," she said.

Tweed New Haven has always touted itself as a convenient place to catch a flight, and Ken Robinson, of Robinson Aviation, said it's also the perfect place to run his flight school and charter. He said he relies on this place staying open.

"I don't physically think it will grow, but what it needs to do is make the most of what it has," he said.

But the airport may need a little help. The authority set up to run the airport's $2.5 million budget is asking New Haven for $160,000 so it can continue operating through the end of the fiscal year.

Officials said the airport needs to get through this year, which would be easier with the requested allotment.

Some people said they wonder why the city should front money to keep Tweed open, especially during a time when the city is laying off people and making cuts.

Officials said the answer is simple: Shutting down the airport could be more expensive. They said that if the airport can't continue, it falls back, literally, into a city department. They said the federal grants over the years will have to be paid back.

And the people who make a living here said the impact would also be felt throughout the region.

"Cities are not just building new airports," said Tim Larson, the airport's executive director. "If you have one you better hold onto it."

The request for the $160,000 will be heard by the Finance Committee Wednesday night.