The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award US$970m from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 125 US airports, spanning 46 states, Guam and Palau. This announcement is the fourth investment of nearly US$1bn, furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure while lowering costs for families, creating good jobs and spurring economic growth.
US$970m airport investment
The latest US$970m in funding will go toward 125 airport-related projects. Many grants contain an element that will build new or expanded terminal facilities. Among them are: US$40m to Tampa International Airport in Florida to connect Terminal D to the main terminal with an automated people mover and add nine passenger boarding bridges to move passengers through more efficiently; US$15m to Denver International Airport in Colorado to reconstruct the baggage handling system including the oversized baggage lift replacements to increase efficiency and capacity; US$3.6m to Des Moines International Airport in Iowa to construct four new terminal gates and a waiting area; US$1.5m to Purdue University Airport in Lafayette, Indiana, to replace an 80-year-old terminal and meet Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requirements; and US$1m to Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport in Alaska for the remodeling and expansion of the existing terminal building, including a passenger waiting area.
Several projects receiving funding for expanded terminal facilities are projected to help improve competition by increasing opportunities for service by new or competing airline carriers. Greater competition at airports can result in lower airfares. One example of these grants is the US$33.2m to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to fund a portion of the new Midfield Terminal B construction project, which will add at least 20 new gates to accommodate increased airline operations and competition. This grant will fund a portion of phase 2, which includes the construction of a 158m underground tunnel to connect the new terminal to the existing one.
Additionally, US$15m will go to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah to fund phase 4 of the Airport Redevelopment Program for the construction of approximately 16 new gates as part of the Concourse B expansion to increase capacity and access for new entrants. On top of this, US$10m will go to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana to fund a portion of the terminal reconstruction and expansion project, including the checkpoint lanes, baggage claim and approximately three gate areas to increase energy efficiency and capacity.
Many grants will increase access from airports to other modes of transportation, including improving roadways connecting airports to communities. These include: US$9.7m to Nashville International Airport in Tennessee to fund improvements to the terminal access roads, including widening roads and constructing a bridge and ramps; US$7.9m to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York to update the existing airport terminal circulatory roadway; US$4m to Mobile Airport Authority in Alabama to build a new dedicated access road to the terminal that will also connect buses to the airport; US$3m to Memphis International Airport in Tennessee to build a dedicated terminal access road, which will allow for the expansion of the terminal building; US$2.8m to Kelly Field Airport at Port San Antonio in Texas to build a 3,695m2 consolidated facilities terminal. The Kelly Field Airport funds will also add a dedicated terminal access road and water utility lines for the building.
Furthermore, grants will be awarded to airports to refurbish their airport-owned airport traffic control towers. Among those are: US$13.5m to General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport in Illinois to fund the tower shaft and equipment to replace the 65-year-old sponsor-owned and FAA-staffed airport traffic control tower; US$13m to Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma to replace an FAA-operated airport traffic control tower, improve visibility and enhance ADA access; US$7m to Shreveport Regional Airport in Louisiana to move and rebuild an FAA-operated airport traffic control tower, improve visibility and construct an access road, associated utilities and site preparation for tower relocation; US$1.75m to Rome Griffiss International Airport in New York to update a 40-year-old, sponsor-owned airport air traffic control tower, including upgrades to the HVAC, plumbing, roof, guardrails and windows as well as communication, fire protection, electrical and security systems; US$1m to Martin State Airport in Middle River, Maryland to build a new airport traffic control tower, replacing the 82-year-old sponsor-owned tower; and US$1m to Atlanta Regional Airport – Falcon Field in Georgia to fund the design of a new sponsor-owned airport traffic control tower.
Some grants contain an element that will increase terminal sustainability. Among them are: US$10m to General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, for a new energy-efficient air-conditioning system in Terminal B; US$9m to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam to fund the terminal roof project, which includes the installation and integration of a renewable energy system, including solar photovoltaic panels and components for the safe storage and output of energy to the airport terminal; and US$3m to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina to fund a solar photovoltaic array installation and battery electric storage system to provide a sustainable and resilient power source for the airport terminal.
Several grants contain an element that will go to improving airport access in smaller communities. Among them are: US$2.5m to Key West International Airport in Florida for a passenger boarding bridge with an elevated walkway and a secure US Customs and Border Protection connection with related holdroom improvements; US$1.8m to Thief River Falls Regional Airport in Minnesota to relocate nearly 47m2 to optimize space, security and traffic flow for general aviation users; US$1.6m to Palau Airport to replace outdated lighting systems and rebuild an airport access road; US$730,000 to Gallup Municipal Airport in New Mexico to improve the terminal building’s structural integrity, accessibility and operational effectiveness; and US$400,000 to Addington Field Airport in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, to renovate and expand the terminal building.
Previous Biden-Harris Administration investments
Historically, the FAA has invested in runways, air traffic control towers and back-of-house infrastructure. However, the Biden-Harris administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included a new program focused on making the passenger experience better, improving accessibility for passengers with disabilities, and supporting sustainability, all while creating construction jobs. The latest announcement includes funding for new baggage systems, larger security checkpoints, increasing gate capacity and modernizing aging infrastructure throughout terminals and ground transportation.
“Investing in America’s airport infrastructure isn’t just about upgrading runways and terminals – it’s about growing local economies, creating jobs and ensuring the safety and efficiency of travel,” said Pete Buttigieg, US transportation secretary. “With the grants we’re announcing today – nearly US$1bn in total – we’re helping modernize 125 airports across the country in order to make their operations safer, more accessible and more convenient for travelers.”
View a data visualization of the airports receiving funding here.
“We’re working to ensure passengers’ safety, comfort and convenience throughout their airport journey,” said FAA associate administrator for airports, Shannetta R Griffin. “Today’s investment also builds communities by providing good-paying jobs and infusing dollars in local economies.”
Today’s funding is from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law provides US$1bn annually for five years for Airport Terminal Program grants. In total, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided a historic US$25bn to modernize US airport infrastructure.
Over 100 projects from earlier Airport Terminal Program grant awards have been completed or are nearing completion. Examples of completed projects include: US$14.4m to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona in 2022 to replace a temporary four-gate facility with a permanent five-gate modernized ADA-compliant terminal; US$11.8m to Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in Washington in 2022 to replace the terminal and equip the new terminal with energy-efficient systems and meet ADA compliance; US$13.3m to Key West International Airport in Florida in 2023 to fund a portion of construction for a new airside terminal building equipped with seven passenger boarding bridges and an expanded baggage claim and passenger security screening checkpoint; and US$11m to Missoula Montana Airport in Montana in 2022 to fund a portion of construction of a new energy-efficient terminal to support increased demand.
In related news, the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding US$566.4m via 296 grants in 47 states to modernize airports. Click here to read the full story.