The Kansas Department of Transportation recently issued $14.5 million to 47 aviation projects statewide via its Kansas Airport Improvement Program or KAIP, which provides funding for planning, construction, and rehabilitation of public-use general aviation airports.
[Above photo by Kansas DOT]
The KAIP receives $15 million annually through the state’s Eisenhower Legacy Transportation or “IKE” program and requires local matching funds of between 10 percent and 50 percent, depending on the project. With local matching funds for these projects, the KAIP total project value this year is $22.9 million, Kansas DOT said.
[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently released a video of a knowledge session at its 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia focused on current and developing trends in the aviation sector. Entitled “Innovations in Aviation: Trends & Integration with State DOTs,” that knowledge session explored the evolving impact of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), more commonly called drones, and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) systems and how both could affect state transportation systems in the short and long term.]
“The Kansas aerospace industry is an essential part of our state’s economy,” noted Governor Laura Kelly (D) in a statement. “Keeping our aviation infrastructure in optimal condition is a large part of that economic growth and job creation, allowing local businesses and communities to prosper.”
“Combining state and local funds to provide vital improvements to general aviation airports has helped to create a statewide aviation network citizens can depend on,” added Calvin Reed, Kansas DOT secretary.
“This offers more services, like air ambulance accessibility, that can help support transportation needs in all areas of Kansas,” he said.
Across the country, state departments of transportation support a wide range of aviation initiatives.
For example, the Idaho Division of Aeronautics – part of the Idaho Transportation Department – sponsors a yearly “safety stand down” for light-aircraft pilots to share best practices and learn tips, tricks and strategies for small-plane operators.
The agency noted that its 2025 Safety Stand Down attracted more than 200 Idaho pilots and aviation enthusiasts from across the state, with a portion of the annual program covering improvements to aviation infrastructure, including new construction, projects, and volunteer opportunities.
Meanwhile, the Utah Department of Transportation recently produced a video explaining how its Division of Aeronautics helps bring pediatric care to rural parts of the state.
In December 2024, the New Mexico Department of Transportation provided a $1.4 million Rural Air Service Enhancement Grant to the town of Angel Fire to boost tourism and provide better travel options for local residents to the northern New Mexico Mountains.
And in November 2024, the Alabama Department of Transportation awarded over $3.6 million in state funding to 16 local airports to support numerous improvements to their facilities.
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