Home for the Holidays: DOT is Working to Get You There

As winter approaches, 47 airports in 23 states will be better prepared to keep airport operations running safely and smoothly. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has awarded nearly $57.6 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 for snowplows, de-icing equipment, and new or upgraded facilities to store this equipment.

“We can’t let snowy conditions stop aircraft from safely landing and taking off. This funding will help keep airports operating this winter and get passengers and cargo to their homes, families, vacations, and work safely,” said Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta Griffin, P.E.

View a data visualization of the airports receiving grants for winter weather preparedness.

Approximately $17.7 million will be used to purchase snow removal equipment, including:

  • $1,764,000 to Williston Basin International in North Dakota
  • $2,093,040 to Will Rogers World in Oklahoma 
  • $1,316,990 to Bozeman Yellowstone International in Montana
  • $27.6 million is to develop de-icing facilities, including:
  • $608,752 to Helena Regional in Montana  
  • $570,878 to Capital Region International in Michigan
  • $1,981,683 to Missoula Montana

$12.2 million will construct and renovate buildings that house and maintain snow removal equipment, including:

  • $5,133,334 to Minneapolis-St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain in Minnesota 
  • $2,019,025 to Hays Regional in Kansas 
  • $1,500,000 to Burlington International in Vermont

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $15 billion in airport infrastructure funding. For FY 2023, another $2.89 billion has been made available to U.S. airports around the nation. Airport Infrastructure Grant funds can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety, and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections, and roadway projects.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.