ACCESS TO RURAL ALASKAN COMMUNITIES SUPPORTED BY RECENT FAA AIP FUNDING

The fifth round of funding for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program will pay for projects at 279 airports in 44 states as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FAA has invested $766 million in grants to provide improved airport accessibility and sustainability efforts. The latest funding announcement falls under the American Rescue Plan which will allow projects to no longer be subject to paying the typical local match with almost $100 million provided by the law. The FAA intends to award over 1,800 grants this year and receives approximately $3.2 billion in annual funding for the Airport Improvement Program.

A project included in the recent funding round will help to increase access for rural and remote communities including the Atqasuk Edward Burnell Sr. Memorial Airport in Atqasuk, Alaska. The community of Atqasuk is located in northern Alaska and relies on aviation for the movement of its goods, critical services, and community members. A grant of $20.7 million will be allocated toward repairing the gravel pavement on multiple areas including Runway 6/24, the taxiway to the parking area, and the aircraft parking area. The project has been designed to improve the safety of airport operations while also furthering the life of the airport’s infrastructure.