The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a seventh round of Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) totaling US$289m to 129 airports across 40 states.
The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s AIG program, part of the US$25bn in total funding for airport improvements such as terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements and air traffic infrastructure improvements.
US$289m to 129 US airports
As part of this investment, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Arizona will receive US$66.7m. This grant funds the site demolition and preparation for a new 2,100-foot taxiway to accommodate more flights. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia will use its US$30.1m grant funding to reconstruct a runway. Additionally, US$22.2m will go to Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania to rehabilitate a taxiway and make safety enhancements to a runway.
Indianapolis International Airport’s US$26.6m grant will fund the reconstruction of Runway 5R-23L to improve safety. The US$17.2m grant to Palm Beach International Airport in Florida will be used to fund the rehabilitation of existing Runway 14-32 shoulders and improve safety. It will also fund the reconstruction of the pavement for Taxiways F and H.
Alongside these investments, US$8.2m will go to Hollywood Burbank Airport in California to fund the third phase of construction of a new terminal building. This phase consists of construction of the foundation and waterproofing to meet design standards. Bradley International Airport in Connecticut will receive a US$8.8m grant to fund the rehabilitation of Runway 6-24 and improve safety.
A total of US$2.2m will go to Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport in Wyoming. This grant will fund the construction of a new taxi lane off Taxiway A to provide airfield access to a non-exclusive hangar development area to meet current FAA standards. Finally, US$1.3m will be invested in Knox County Regional Airport in Maine to fund the reconstruction of taxi lanes and the southwest general aviation apron.
Increased US passenger traffic
In June, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened a record-breaking 2.99 million passengers in a single day at airports. TSA expects to screen more than 32 million individuals this Independence Day holiday travel season, which is a 5.4% increase over last year’s travel volumes.
“Americans are flying in record numbers, and the Biden-Harris Administration continues to invest in our airports to make travel safer and more convenient for the people who pass through these airports each day,” said US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This latest round of funding will support key improvements to terminals, runways and baggage systems and build on the work this Administration is doing to modernize our aviation infrastructure.”
FAA’s Airport Terminal Program
In addition to the AIG announcement, the FAA has opened the application period for airports to submit projects for the Fiscal Year 2025 Airport Terminal Program (ATP), also funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FY 2025 ATP provides approximately US$1bn in funding for safe, sustainable and accessible airport terminals, airport-owned airport traffic control towers, and on-airport rail and bus projects that improve multimodal connections.
“We’re seeing where our investments are making a real difference for communities across the nation,” said Shannetta R Griffin, the associate administrator for airports at FAA. “I encourage airports to take advantage of this opportunity to build modern facilities that are accessible, safe, resilient to climate change impacts and achieve environmental sustainability.”
Since 2022, the FAA has announced over 300 projects to receive ATP grants aimed at improving the passenger experience, modernizing America’s airports, and improving competition in the airline industry by supporting equal access to infrastructure for airlines. To date, over 190 terminal projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s ATP program are under construction, and six projects are already complete.
In related news, the Biden/Harris Administration’s fiscal year 2025 budget recently requested US$43.4m for the Federal Aviation Administration to undertake airport technology research. Click here to read the full story.