The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $481 million in grants to support infrastructure and safety improvements at airports across 36 states and two territories, with funding supporting projects ranging from runway and taxiway rehabilitation to terminal construction and other airport upgrades.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the announcement ahead of the Labor Day travel weekend. The 191 grants are spread across 154 airports, with projects ranging from major infrastructure to small equipment purchases.
The airports receiving the most funding overall include:
- $100 million for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport: split across four projects – $44.6 million to reconstruct the runway, $31.6 million to reconstruct a taxiway, $13.5 million to reconstruct the terminal and $10.4 million to construct/extend a runway safety area.
- $39.8 million for Indianapolis International Airport: terminal improvements.
- $32.5 million for Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport: terminal reconstruction.
- $30.3 million for San Diego International Airport: construct a new terminal.
- $28.4 million for Albuquerque International Sunport Airport: terminal reconstruction.
- $24 million for Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport: terminal reconstruction.
- $15.5 million for Cyril E. King Airport (U.S. Virgin Islands): construct and expand the aircraft rescue and firefighting building.
- $14.3 million for Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport: construct and rehabilitate taxiways.
- $12.8 million for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport: split across two projects – $3.6 million to reconstruct an apron and $9.3 million to reconstruct an apron and taxiway and rehabilitate taxiway lighting.
- $11.4 million for Fort Myers Southwest Florida International Airport: taxiway construction.
- $10.1 million for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: construct airport drainage and erosion control improvements.
Georgia received the largest share of funding, with more than $100.8 million, almost all of which was directed to four infrastructure projects at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. California ranked second with $74 million distributed across a broader range of projects, followed by Indiana with $54.3 million, Kentucky with $33.8 million and New Mexico with $32.4 million.
While most of the top-funded projects will support terminal improvements, other funded work includes airfield lighting and signage, perimeter and wildlife fencing, snow removal equipment, master plans and pavement studies. Taxiway, runway and apron work together account for about half of all project items.
The funding comes from the federal Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) program, which the FAA says can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminals, airport transit connections and roadway projects.
This announcement marks the ninth round of grants issued by the FAA in fiscal year 2026 (FY26), the final year of the five-year AIG program. FY26’s total allocation is $2.89 billion, of which this round accounts for $481.7 million.
This announcement underscores just how broad the AIG program’s reach is. Funding stretches from hub airports like Atlanta and San Diego down to single-runway general aviation fields with just a handful of locally based aircraft, and covers everything from multimillion-dollar terminal overhauls to modest equipment purchases. Each grant represents a funded opportunity for contractors across the aviation infrastructure market.
Photo by Curtis Cheng from Pexels
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