Department of Transportation (DOT) officials said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has earmarked $845 million in grant funds for projects designed to improve airports nationwide.
The funding allotment would address projects at 388 airports in 49 states plus the District of Columbia, mitigating environmental impacts, increasing accessibility, and expanding airport capacity.
“We don’t want to just build our airports back to the way things were before the pandemic,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “We want our airports to be better than ever–accessible to all, delivering maximum benefit to their communities and helping, directly and indirectly, create jobs for millions of Americans.”
Under the recently announced nearly $100 million American Rescue Plan Act, officials indicated that the projects would not pay the usual local match.
Per the FAA, the Airport Improvement Program receives approximately $3.2 billion in annual funding, and the agency plans to award more than 1,500 grants this year.
Projects funded include Savannah International Airport in Savannah, Ga., receiving $11.6 million to expand the apron area where aircraft park, supporting cargo operations creating permanent jobs, and aiding the local economy. Additionally, a $3.3 million allotment for noise-mitigation measures for homes near Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall in Baltimore, Md., will fund sound-insulation projects for 72 single-family and 204 multi-family residences.