The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) Aviation Division will award $20 million to 11 regional airport projects, including $1.9 million to Los Alamos, that will benefit existing facilities and create new infrastructure benefiting both commercial and general aviation, as well as local economies.
The airport projects will be supported through two funding sources. During the 2021 special legislative session, $10 million was allocated from the American Rescue Plan Appropriation (APRA) funds for statewide regional airports.
In addition, during the 2022 legislative session House Bill (HB) 2 awarded $5 million for essential air service for FY23-25 and another $5 million for regional airport projects.
The projects were drafted from existing Airport Capital Improvement Plans developed by New Mexico communities with airports. The NMDOT Aviation Division then scored the project proposals based on four criteria: safety, Federal Aviation Administration, priorities, development status and subjective need determination.
“I am confident in the Aviation Division’s staff knowledge of funding processes and their experience assisting airports in developing comprehensive capital improvement plans gives the department confidence the selected projects will have a positive impact on the states aviation system for both general and commercial aviation,” Transportation Secretary Mike Sandoval said.
The selected aviation projects subsidized with the $10 million ARPA funds include:
- Los Alamos County Airport receives $1.9 million to construct a new fuel farm to service general aviation with both Avgas and Jet-A;
- Santa Fe Municipal Airport receives $1.1 million to purchase a new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) truck. As well as pavement repair and maintenance of taxiway’s (A, C, J) $450,000.
- Silver City Grant County Airport receives a total of $2,650,000 for an ARFF truck and a new fuel farm.
- Tucumcari Municipal Airport receives $1.3 million for new fuel farm construction.
- Truth or Consequences Regional Airport receives $1 million to address fuel farm safety issues; and
- Taos Municipal Airport receives $1.6 million to rehabilitate the commercial aircraft parking apron.
The remaining projects are funded through HB 2:
- Grants – Milan Municipal Airport receives $2.6 million for a new hanger and terminal and medivac station; and
- Taos Municipal Airport receives $2.4 million towards completion of the commercial apron.
