Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims announced Tuesday that the Augusta Municipal Airport in Augusta, Kan., would receive a historic level of investment thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
The airport will receive $159,000 in BIL funding for Fiscal Year 2022, Mims said, for investments into runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as for terminal, airport-transit connections, and roadway projects.
With a population of just under 10,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, Augusta is one of several rural communities President Joe Biden’s administration said the BIL will help. The BIL will invest in the infrastructure in smaller communities and underserved areas to help create good-paying jobs, generate new economic opportunities and build community wealth, the administration said.
“These communities may be small in size, but they have a big impact on keeping our National Airspace System operating safely and efficiently. With this new funding, Augusta Municipal and airports across the country will get to work on projects that have waited for years,” Mims said during a visit to the airport.
The Biden administration said the BIL will invest more than $20 billion in the nation’s airports and focus on revitalizing and rebuilding small and municipal communities across the country. Other investments in rural areas include high-speed internet, safe roads and bridges, clean drinking water, modern wastewater systems, reliable and affordable electricity, and good-paying jobs in every community, the administration said.