The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded more than $431.8 million in grants to build safer, more sustainable and more accessible airports across the United States. The funding from the final round of Fiscal Year 2021 Airport Improvement Program grants will pay for projects at 60 airports in 31 states plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. View an interactive map with all the awards.
“To get passengers where they need to be safely and sustainably, we must make ongoing investments in our aviation system. These grants will help fulfill our commitment to build a safer, more equitable and more sustainable future,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the projects announced today will not have to pay the usual local match given the nearly $100 million provided in the law.
“With today’s awards, the FAA has provided $3.2 billion in airports funds this year to improve safety, environmental stewardship, and accessibility,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said. “These grants support airport infrastructure across our National Airspace System, providing federal investment to communities of all sizes, from remote areas to major metropolitan cities.”
Today’s grants include:
Increase Safety, Expand Capacity and Create Jobs:
- Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Bozeman, Mont.: $5.0 million to construct a 28,800 square-yard general aviation parking area.
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Fort Worth, Texas: Two grants totaling $35.0 million. The first, for $30.7 million, pays for constructing two replacement aircraft rescue and firefighting buildings to help the airport meet FAA safety requirements. The second, for $4.3 million, will be used to buy zero-emissions passenger shuttle buses and associated charging infrastructure.
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Romulus, Mich.: $35.6 million to enhance overall airfield safety by reconstructing a taxiway. This is the first phase of a project to reconstruct 6,700 feet of existing taxiway pavement to eliminate potential debris from deteriorating pavement and remove a direct connection between an apron and a runway.
- Gallatin Airport, Sparta, Ky.: $7.9 million to fund the third of four phases of a new airport in Gallatin County, Ky. This phase paves and marks 5,000 feet of the primary runway, 1,800 feet of taxiways, and 75,000 square yards of the terminal apron and constructs 3,200 feet of terminal access road. This new airport will serve a growing industrial and tourism economy and provide accessibility to the Kentucky Aviation System.
- Grand Junction Regional Airport, Grand Junction, Colo.: $15.7 million to construct a new 10,500-foot replacement runway to meet FAA standards, including grading and drainage features.
- Venice Municipal Airport, Venice, Fla.: $2.1 million to extend a taxiway to 5,000 feet. This project will reduce the time planes remain on the runway and enhance safety by eliminating the need for arriving aircraft to back-taxi on a runway.
Build More Sustainable Airports:
- Albuquerque International Sunport, Albuquerque, N.M.: $7.1 million to buy zero-emissions passenger shuttle buses and associated charging equipment, low-emission airport pre-conditioned air units, low-emission airport ground power units and to reconstruct a taxiway.
- Bismarck Municipal Airport, Bismarck, N.D.: $5.6 million to install airfield drainage and storm sewer improvements. This grant funds the seventh phase of a project to move approximately 60 acres of wetlands from the airport property to 11 miles east of the airport, which reduces the risk of wildlife/aircraft strikes at the airport while maintaining valuable wetland areas.
- Denver International Airport, Denver, Colo.: $8.7 million to support Voluntary Airport Low Emissions (VALE) projects for airport air quality improvements.
- Memphis International Airport, Memphis, Tenn.: $24.8 million to build a deicing pad with associated facilities as part of the overall airport modernization project. The deicing facility will address environmental concerns by preventing water runoff from deicing pads.
- Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, Calif.: $4.6 million to buy zero-emissions passenger shuttle buses and associated charging equipment.
- Tampa International Airport, Tampa, Fla.: $3.8 million to buy zero-emissions passenger shuttle buses and associated charging equipment.
Increase Access for Rural, Remote Communities:
- Metlakatla Airport, Metlakatla, Alaska: $6.5 million to repair the seaplane base so it can be used to safely transport goods and services to remote communities in Alaska, including the Metlakatla Indian Community on Annette Island in southern Alaska.
The Airport Improvement Program receives approximately $3.2 billion in funding each year. The FAA awarded more than 1,700 grants in 2021. A complete listing of grants and AIP Grants Data by State is on the FAA website.
