FAA awards $636 million in grants for airport improvements

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched the fourth round of funding for its Airport Improvement Program, distributing more than $636 million in 320 grants to 46 states.

The grants will benefit projects such as “planning, improving airport safety, airport development and airport noise control,” the FAA said.

“From passenger traffic to cargo operations, the Biden-Harris administration continues to make our aviation system safer, more accessible and more resilient through initiatives like the Airport Improvement Program,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Thanks to this latest round of funding, passengers across the country will benefit as we make airports from Rhode Island to American Samoa more modern and efficient.”

Bloomberg News

This is shaping up to be a monumental summer for air travel: The Transportation Security Administration recorded a new record of 2.99 million travelers screened in a single day in June, only to surpass that record a few weeks later in early July with more than 3 million.

The Airport Improvement Program receives approximately $3.3 billion annually, authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Major investments in this round include $24.2 million for runway rehabilitation at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, $16.3 million for runway rehabilitation at Philadelphia International Airport, and $15.7 million for runway construction at Detroit Willow Run Airport.

Also included are $15 million to rehabilitate the runway at Ellison Onizuka Kona International in Keahole, Hawaii, $4.2 million to rebuild the taxiways at San Diego International and $755,000 to rebuild runway lighting at Fitiuta Airport in American Samoa.

Airport emissions activity has also reached new highs this year. It started slowly at $3.5 billion in the first five months of the year, but is expected to reach $21 billion by the end of 2024, according to Ramirez. This could bring airport emissions activity back to pre-pandemic levels, where it reached a recent peak of $21.1 billion in 2018, but soon fell back to $13.5 billion in 2019 and $16.6 billion in 2020.

“This $636 million investment will help airports across the country maintain and improve their critical infrastructure to create the safest and most efficient airport system in the world,” said Shanetta R. Griffin, FAA deputy commissioner for airports.