The Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded more than $898.9 million to support 488 infrastructure and safety grants to 447 airports in 49 states and American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.
[Above photo of Chicago Rockford Airport]
That funding – issued via the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program or AIP – also includes $113.5 million in American Rescue Plan grants, awarded at 100 percent federal share.
Projects funded through AIP grants – a program now celebrating its 75th anniversary, FAA noted – promote safety, efficiency, environmental stewardship, infrastructure, and security at the nation’s airports.
“These grants represent the legacy and vital role of airport infrastructure grant programs in helping the air transportation system operate safely,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson in a statement. “Investing in our nation’s infrastructure through AIP grants is a cornerstone of our commitment to safety.”
The agency added that President Harry Truman established the first program to provide federal investment for airport infrastructure and development of the nation’s civil airports when he signed the Federal Airport Act of 1946. Twin Falls, Idaho, received the very first AIP grant to help construct an airport. Since 1946, the FAA has issued more than 89,000 grants totaling $96 billion.
The FAA noted that its AIP initiative receives approximately $3.2 billion in congressional funding annually and that it plans to award more than 1,500 grants in 2021.
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