Photo above – The Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ) received a $689,262 Colorado Discretionary Aviation Grant to match $7,192,000 in federal funds for the rehabilitation of runway 3/21 and the expansion of the airport’s aircraft parking apron. Photo by Shahn G. Sederberg – CDOT Aeronautics.
The Colorado Aeronautical Board (CAB) has approved $4.5 million in federal match and overmatch grant funding for airport infrastructure projects across the state as part of its 2025 Colorado Discretionary Aviation Grant (CDAG) Program. The federal matching grants, which leverage both Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding, will support critical infrastructure improvements at 29 public-use airports statewide.
These awards are in addition to $13.8 million in state and local discretionary grants previously approved by the CAB in January, bringing the total 2025 CDAG Program funding to $18.3 million, leveraging nearly $90 million in federal funding. All together this year, the CAB approved a total of 57 discretionary aviation grants supporting 47 public-use airports across Colorado.
A detailed breakdown of each federal match grant award is available here.
Key Federal Projects Include:
- Runway and taxiway rehabilitations at Colorado Springs (COS), Cortez (CEZ), Grand Junction (GJT), Montrose (MTJ), and Telluride (TEX).
- Terminal improvements at Grand Junction (GJT) and Durango (DRO).
- Automated Weather Observing Systems at rural airports such as Cañon City (1V6), Nucla (AIB), Holyoke (HEQ).
- Major pavement expansions and reconstructions at Eagle County, Buena Vista, and Colorado Air and Space Port.
- Pavement maintenance at Limon and Trinidad.
“This year’s investment reflects a continued commitment to enhancing aviation safety, efficiency, and capacity across Colorado’s diverse air transportation system,” said David Ulane, Director of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics. “By leveraging state and local funding with federal programs, we can ensure Colorado airports remain vital economic engines for their communities.”
The CAB’s support of the CDAG Program ensures that airports serving urban, mountain, and rural communities can modernize infrastructure, enhance aviation safety, and improve access to Colorado’s Aviation System.
Colorado legislation was created in 1991 to develop and maintain the Colorado Aviation System through taxes collected on aviation fuel sold within the state. There are no general funds used to meet the needs within the Colorado Aviation System. The Colorado Aviation System is funded solely through the taxes collected by those actually using the aviation system.
The Colorado Airport System consists of 76 public-use airports that support over 348,466 jobs, provide $23.5 billion in annual payroll, $40.3 billion in value-added, and $68.9 billion in total annual business revenue for the State of Colorado. More information about the 2025 Colorado Aviation Economic Impact Study can be found at coloradoaviationsystem.com/2025-ceis.
