Department of Transportation (DOT) officials recently announced that 287 airports in 41 states will receive $520.5 million in airport infrastructure grants as a means of enhancing air travel.
“This $520.5 million in federal support to airports across the country will help to keep our nation’s airports in good shape and make air travel a better experience for passengers,” Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said, noting the Trump Administration has invested an $11.4 billion to more than two thousand airports across the United States for safety and infrastructure improvements since January 2017.
“America’s airports provide a gateway to the world for our citizens while at the same time delivering first impressions of the United States to visitors from abroad,” Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said. “It’s in our national interest to make them the crown jewel in our transportation system. The Airport Improvement Program allows us to do just that.”
The investments and reforms are timely in the wake of an economic surge, indicating employers have added more than 7 million jobs since January 2017, and the unemployment rate is 3.6 percent.
The Federal Aviation Administration maintains civil aviation supports more than 5 percent of gross domestic product, $1.6 trillion in economic activity, and nearly 11 million jobs.