DOT announces $986 million in airport infrastructure grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced that will award $986 million in airport infrastructure grants to 354 airports in 44 states and Puerto Rico and Micronesia.

This is the fifth allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding for airports across the United States.

Selected projects include runway reconstruction and rehabilitation, construction of fire-fighting facilities, noise mitigation, emissions reduction and the maintenance of taxiways, aprons, and terminals. DOT says that the construction and equipment supported by this funding increase the airports’ safety, emergency response capabilities and capacity, and could support further economic growth and development within each airport’s region.

Airports can receive a certain amount of AIP entitlement funding each year based on activity levels and project needs. If their capital project needs exceed their available entitlement funds, the FAA can supplement their entitlements with discretionary funding, the administration has said.

Some of the grant awards include: 

• Burlington International Airport in Vermont – $16 million
• International Falls Airport in Minnesota – $15.9 million
• Grant County International Airport in Washington – $10 million
• Kenai Municipal Airport in Alaska – $6.5 million
• Lake Elmo Airport in Minnesota – $1.2 million
• Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania – $13.4 million
• Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport in Maryland – $3.4 million
• St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport in Florida – $19.7 million
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri – $1,532,711
• San Francisco International Airport in California – $6.4 million
• University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport in Oklahoma – $5.1 million.

“Infrastructure projects funded by these grants will advance safety, improve travel, generate jobs and provide other economic benefits for local communities,” said Elaine L Chao, U.S. Transportation Secretary.