Nearly A Billion Bucks Marks 75 Years of Airport Grants

The FAA has announced the award of more than $898.9 million in infrastructure and safety projects through the FY2021 Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

This total includes $113.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to award all grants at a 100-percent federal share.

“Investing in our nation’s infrastructure is how our country helped spark an aviation industry that now supports millions of jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These Airport Improvement Program grants will help modernize America’s airports and ensure that our air transportation system remains the safest and most efficient in the world.”

Grant projects funded through the Airport Improvement Program promote safety, efficiency, environmental stewardship, infrastructure, and security at the nation’s airports. This announcement includes 488 grants to 447 airports in 49 states and American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

This also marks the 75th anniversary of the legislation that established federal investment in our Nation’s airport infrastructure.

“These grants represent the legacy and vital role of airport infrastructure grant programs in helping the air transportation system operate safely,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson.

“Investing in our nation’s infrastructure through AIP grants is a cornerstone of our commitment to safety.”

Examples of airports receiving grants for projects in this round include:

• Glendale Municipal, Glendale, Arizona, $1.4 million – To rehabilitate 3,500 feet of the existing southern portion of Taxiway A pavement to extend its useful life and enhance safety by  minimizing foreign object debris.
• Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, more than $18.9 million – To resurface and seal the pavement for the airport’s primary Runway 16R/34L. This project will extend the useful life of the runway pavement. Van Nuys airport is one of the busiest general aviation airports in the United States in terms of aircraft operations. Work is scheduled to begin in February 2022 and be completed in November 2022.
• Bradley International, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, almost $11.3 million – For reconstructing the Taxiway S and to bring the connector taxiways to current federal design standards.
• Denver International, Denver Colorado, nearly $26.7 million – To rehabilitate the pavement and lighting systems on Runway 16L/34R to enhance safe airfield operations during low-visibility conditions and to rehabilitate a taxiway.
• Valdosta Regional, Valdosta, Georgia, nearly $5.7 million – To rehabilitate 8,000 feet of Runway 17/35 maintaining the structural integrity of the pavement and minimize foreign object debris.  Additionally, this project enhances safety by removing vegetation obstructions from the Runway 35 approach and departure paths.
• Scott AFB/MidAmerica, Belleville, Illinois, more than $12.6 million – For expanding the terminal building to accommodate existing passenger demand and meet security and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The airport has seen an increase in enplanements from 20,000 in 2015 to more than 150,000 in 2018. The security checkpoint is being relocated to the first floor of the terminal and expanded by an additional lane to meet Transportation Security Administration design requirements.
• Frederick Municipal, Frederick, Maryland, more than $4.8 million – For extending Runway 05/23 to meet the operational needs of the airport. Additionally, this project relocates the parallel taxiway to meet federal design standards for separation between runways and taxiways.

President Harry Truman established the first program to provide federal investment for airport infrastructure and development of the nation's civil airports when he signed the Federal Airport Act of 1946. The first grant was awarded to Twin Falls, Idaho, to help construct an airport. Since 1946, the FAA has issued more than 89,000 grants totaling $96 billion.

The Airport Improvement Program receives approximately $3.2 billion in congressional funding each year. The FAA will award more than 1,500 grants this year.

FMI: www.faa.gov