The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will provide 127 airports nationwide with
$779 million in supplemental funding for infrastructure grants.
The funding is provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which became law in March 2018. The act gave the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) an additional $1 billion in discretionary funds for grants.
Supplemental funding will be used by the airports for equipment or construction that improves capacity, safety or emergency response capabilities. Qualifying projects include the maintenance of taxiways, aprons, and terminals, and runway reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Under the act, funding will be provided to primary airports that are classified as Small or nonhub airports and nonprimary airports that are classified as regional, local, or basic airports and not located within a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.
“This supplemental funding allows us to invest in important infrastructure needs at the nation’s airports, especially those serving smaller and rural communities,” Elaine L. Chao, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, said.
AIP awarded $3.31 billion during fiscal year 2018.
In September 2018, AIP awarded the first round of supplemental funding. A total of $205 million was awarded to 37 airports in 34 states.