AASHTO Journal - FAA Issues $1.9B in Airport Improvement Grants

The Federal Aviation Administration recently issued $1.9 billion in grants via its Airport Improvement Program or AIP to fund for 519 project in 48 states, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

[Above photo by FAA]

The agency added that it issued an additional $269 million in fiscal year 2023 Supplemental Discretionary Grants to fund 62 projects at 56 U.S. airports; money aimed at making airports safer and more efficient for passengers as well as for the employees who work behind the scenes to make the nation’s aviation system run as smoothly as possible.

This funding “enhances safety, improves sustainability, and ensures our [aviation] infrastructure meets the needs of the traveling public,” noted Shannetta Griffin, FAA’s associate administrator for airports, in a statement.

“This funding helps ensure traveler safety, reduces the environmental impacts on communities, and builds more resilient airports nationally, she pointed out.

This fifth round of AIP grants funds a variety of projects including airport safety and sustainability improvements and airport noise reduction in airports of all sizes and across all parts of the country, the agency said.

Also, for the first time, the grants include funding for the testing of technologies to reduce, mitigate, and remove contaminants caused by Aqueous Film Forming Foam or AFFF and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS; known as “forever chemicals” that can contaminate air, water, and soil, and are harmful to human health.

[Editor’s note: The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics wrapped up a project in late 2021 to help certified commercial service airports statewide acquire equipment to minimize the environmental impact of aircraft firefighting foam containing PFAS chemicals.]

This is also among the latest of several funding disbursements made by the FAA over the last few months.

For example, in August, the agency issued $291 million via its Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition or FAST program for projects that will help achieve the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from aviation by 2050.

Those FAST grant awardees, which oversee projects in 23 states, include established and startup fuel producers; fuel logistics and supply chain companies; engine, aircraft, and component manufacturers; state and local governments; airport authorities; and universities.

Also in August the agency issued 296 grants worth $566.4 million to help fund airport modernization projects in 47 states.

FAA said that AIG funds can be used for airport planning, development, sustainability, terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements and noise compatibility projects at eligible airports.

In a separate funding notice, the FAA issued more than 320 grants worth $636 million on August 9 to support planning, airport safety improvements, airport development, and airport noise reduction initiatives in 46 states and American Samoa.