U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (R-TX) announced Laredo International Airport will receive more than $7 million in federal funding for airport expansions and upgrades.
The $7,222,563 funding comes from several different pots of COVID-19 funding, including more than $1.4 million from the Airport Coronavirus Response Grant Program (ACRGP); nearly $2.3 million from the General American Rescue Plan Act resource, and $3.4 million exclusively for Laredo International expansions and improvements.
“To help the airport prepare for future success, I helped secure funding that will provide the necessary resources to expand the terminal, supplement concessions that struggled throughout the pandemic, and provide economic relief for costs related to the operation of the airport throughout the pandemic,” Cuellar said. “This federal investment will help our city keep pace with economic growth and increased tourism in South Texas. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fund programs that foster economic development in our community.”
The funding will support the expansion of the existing airport terminal building, as well as upgrades to the interior spaces and public restroom, upgrades to the airport’s mechanical and electrical systems, and improvements to sanitation measures, personnel and janitorial services. The funding will also help large and small concessionaires at the airport with economic relief from rent and minimum annual guarantees.
Built in 1998, the airport terminal has seen an increase in its use, thanks in part to an explosion in population. Between 2019 and 2020, Laredo’s population grew by 11.3 percent, U.S. Census Bureau statistics show. Renovations to the terminal will help accommodate the increased number of passengers as they pass through security areas, use public restrooms and inhabit the interior spaces.