FAA Providing $3.7 Million In Block Grants

An investment of $3.8 million in federal and state funds will improve operations at eight Pennsylvania airports, Governor Tom Corbett (pictured) announced Tuesday.

"I support creating and sustaining jobs across all sectors of our economy, and transportation is no exception," Governor Corbett said. "The aviation industry employs more than 290,000 people statewide, which is nearly 5 percent of the state workforce. These investments go directly to improving operations at the airports that are responsible for so many jobs."

The state portion of funding – $85,726 from PennDOT's aviation development program – comes from the state's jet fuel tax and leverages more than $108,887 in local matching funds.

The FAA is providing nearly $3.7 million in grants through the block grant program, which is funded through taxes collected nationally on airline tickets, freight waybills, international departure fees, and sale of aviation fuel. Airports receive up to 95 percent of eligible project costs for projects included in Pennsylvania's 12-year transportation program.

Public-use airports in the state are eligible for the aviation development program. Airports eligible for the federal block grant program include: general aviation airports, designated reliever airports, and non-primary commercial airline airports (those with fewer than 10,000 annual passengers) that are part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems.

The projects include:

• Bradford County: Bradford County Airport -- $156,000 to design a full parallel taxiway.
• Columbia County: Bloomsburg Municipal Airport -- $2.2 million to install a drainage system, pave and light the re-aligned runway.
• Crawford County: Titusville Airport -- $184,750 to acquire snow removal equipment and improve the airport’s electrical supply.
• Lawrence County: New Castle Municipal Airport -- $153,947 to design a snowremoval equipment storage building.
• Mercer County: Greenville Municipal Airport -- $555,750 to extend the runway.
• Montgomery County: Pottstown Municipal Airport -- $146,250 for final design on the runway pavement rehabilitation and for final design of the runway safety area.
• Tioga County: Wellsboro-Johnston Airport-- $273,250 to re-mark the runway to meet design standards for more advanced approach equipment and to acquire
• snow-removal equipment.
• Venango County: Venango Regional Airport -- $82,875 to acquire snow-removal equipment.

The state has 133 public-use airports and heliports and 15 airports have scheduled commercial service.

FMI: www.dot.state.pa.us