FAA ANNOUNCES GRANTS TOTALING OVER $845 MILLION TO SUPPORT AIRPORT MODERNIZATION

The Federal Aviation Administration has recently awarded grants in excess of $845 million to projects dedicated to lessening environmental impact and increasing airport capacity and accessibility. The grants are part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), but the newly announced projects will not be subject to paying a local match due to almost $100 million of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. A total of 388 airports across the country will benefit from the fourth round of funding for AIP grants with notable projects occurring in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

The list of newly announced grants referenced projects in Vermont and Pennsylvania that will help to ramp up safety, jobs, and airport capacity. The Franklin County State Airport in Swanton, Vermont will have runway pavement replaced while Philadelphia International Airport will undergo an $18 million taxiway improvement project. The Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania will also implement a taxiway improvement project expected to help supplement cargo operations to boost the local job economy. Projects that will help decrease environmental impacts include a $3.3 million noise-mitigation effort at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and a LED runway lighting project at Orange Municipal Airport in Massachusetts.