Two airports are trying separately to attract air service from central Illinois to Washington, D.C., and they're using federal money to help.

The University of Illinois' Willard Airport in Savoy and Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington hope to add service to the nation's capital. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $500,000 to each airport on Tuesday.

Willard Airport official Bruce Walden says Washington service is the top request the airport gets from the university. He says the preference would be Washington Dulles International Airport because a quarter of the people who use Willard are international travelers.

Willard considers United or United Express its most likely carriers.

Bloomington's airport could also use the money to try to set up service to New York.