The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved $8.3 million for the fiscal year 2023 State Aviation Program, which includes several subprograms detailed below.
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) will fund $5.4 million for a variety of aviation safety initiatives, system planning, and air service development activities. It will also provide funding for airport development projects at 21 airports in Iowa. Eligible AIP projects include runway, taxiway, and apron development; fuel systems; navigational aids; maintenance of aviation weather systems; runway marking; windsocks; emergency operational repairs; land-use planning; air service initiatives; and the mitigation of obstruction and wildlife hazards at airports. The AIP program is funded with revenue from aircraft registration fees and aviation fuel taxes.
Aviation vertical infrastructure programs will provide $2.9 million for projects at six general aviation airports and eight commercial service airports throughout Iowa. These programs provide funding for the maintenance and development of airport facilities, such as terminal buildings, maintenance facilities, and aviation hangars. Vertical infrastructure programs are funded from the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.
Modal Transportation Bureau Director Tammy Nicholson notes that funding for the State Aviation Program has stabilized as aviation activity and resulting revenue streams have returned to pre-pandemic levels. She said, “It’s good to be back to normalized funding streams, but now we need continue to find ways to stretch funding that has lost buying power with increased costs of materials and labor.”
The State Aviation Program supplements local and federal funding sources and seeks to maintain a safe and effective statewide air transportation system. Details on the State Aviation Program funding can be viewed at https://iowadot.gov/aviation/airport-managers-and-sponsors/State-Funding/state-funding-programs
Additional information regarding aviation in Iowa is available at www.iowadot.gov/aviation.
