DOT awards $243.7 million in grants for airport improvements

A total of $243.7 million in grants will fund airport infrastructure improvement projects necessary to support what the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said is an increased demand for air travel.

The DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding 150 grants through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to modernize airports in 37 states. The grants are intended to address safety concerns at aging airports and to bolster funding inconsistencies that have delayed modernizing technology and infrastructure, the DOT said.

Several projects will help reduce delays and confusion for passengers as well as minimize security risks, the DOT said, such as improvements that streamline taxiways, expand terminals and provide better lighting.

“We saw a record number of passengers fly during the recent holiday season, and we can expect the increased demand for air travel to continue,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted.

Projects that received funding include:

$45 million to Dallas-Fort Worth International to rehabilitate 13,400 feet of runway to maintain the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris.
$18 million to Sitka Rocky Gutierrez in Alaska to expand the existing terminal building an additional 16,000 square feet.
$15.2 million to Ontario International in California to rehabilitate 10,200 feet of the existing runway and reconstruct 668 feet of taxiway pavement.
$5.5 million to Des Moines International in Iowa to construct a 295,000-square-foot terminal building that will include six gates to improve foot traffic and reduce delays.
$2.2 million to Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township, Michigan, to construct an 8,617-foot parallel taxiway to eliminate the need for aircraft to back-taxi on the runway.
$2 million to Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wisconsin, to rehabilitate an existing on-airport roadway to provide a path for aircraft rescue firefighting trucks, airport vehicles, or ground service equipment.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides $15 billion for airport projects through the Airport Improvement Grant (AIG) program, including runways, taxiways, terminal and roadway projects. The FAA has made nearly $9 billion in AIG grants available since the BIL was enacted in 2021.

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