AASHTO Journal - FAA Awards over $800M in Airport Grant Funding

The Federal Aviation Administration recently issued more than $800 million to airports nationwide and in U.S. territories through two separate grant programs.

[Above photo by FAA]

The agency recently issued $427 million in grants to 245 airport-related infrastructure projects across 39 states; funds that come through the Airport Infrastructure Grants or AIG program, part of the $25 billion total included in the law for airport improvements such as terminal expansions and baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure improvements.

Concurrently, the FAA issued more than $374 million in grants to support airfield, safety, and other improvement projects at 299 airports in 46 states and American Samoa via its Airport Improvement Program or AIP, which receives some $3.3 billion in federal funding each year

This is but the latest round of funds FAA has issued to airports across the country through several different programs.

The agency issued more than $123 million in AIP grants for airfield, safety, and other improvement projects at 235 airports in 35 states and the District of Columbia in early July.

In June, the agency awarded $187 million worth of grants to 90 infrastructure projects at 90 airports across 34 states via its AIG program to support improvements such as terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, and runway safety enhancements.

That followed the award of $76.1 million to 45 airport-related infrastructure projects in 22 states via the AIG program in May and $148.3 million in AIG funds to 73 airport-related infrastructure projects in 28 states and Guam in April.

The AIG program – one of three aviation-focused funding initiatives created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA – provides about $15 billion in total funding over five years with $3 billion available annually. It joins the AIP and Airport Terminal Program or ATP grant programs that the FAA also oversees.