Brady PieperThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is announcing $20 million in grants to modernize America’s airport control towers. These grants will support the critical operations that the aviation industry relies on, particularly in small towns and municipal airports.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the FAA’s ongoing commitment to airports of all sizes,” FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Shannetta R. Griffin said in a press release. “These upgrades will help ensure traveler safety for decades by providing our controllers better work environments that are also more accessible, secure, and sustainable,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Airports, Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E.
The federal funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will mark the fourth annual distribution from the FAA’s competitive Contract Tower Program, a $100 million grant initiative seeking to revitalize airport infrastructure nationwide. Contract towers are air traffic control towers that are staffed by employees of private companies rather than by FAA employees.
These aviation grants will fund a range of improvements at smaller and regional airports, from replacing outdated air traffic control equipment to rehabilitating existing control tower structures. As airport traffic continues to grow around the country, the upgrades are expected to improve safety, efficiency and accessibility for travelers while ensuring a more sustainable and energy-efficient aviation system.
For this round, dozens of airports will secure funding to address the replacement of aging infrastructure, repair inferior and improve working conditions at air traffic control facilities. In addition to enhancing safety and operational efficiency, many projects will focus on improving communications systems and enhancing sustainability, including upgrades to HVAC, lighting and other energy-efficient systems.
Some awardees and project include:
- Coastal Carolina Regional Airport, North Carolina – The project will rehabilitate an over 80-year old World War II-era contract tower.
- Victoria Regional Airport, Texas – This grant will fund improvements at the airport’s contract tower, constructing build out for ADA accessible facilities, conveyances and workspaces. The Project will also install new tower cab windows.
- Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, West Virginia – The project will replace cab windows, address water damage and repair pre-engineered metal structures in the tower to adhere to regulations and requirements.
- Boulder City Municipal Airport, Nevada – Funding will support the design for a new contract tower. The design will feature structural, building mechanical, electrical, plumbing, parking, access, fencing and utility updates.
- Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport, Michigan – The project will provide upgrades to several aging tower systems at the airport, including upgrades to communications, weather resilience, HVAC, generators, elevators and cabs.
Already, previous airport projects from earlier Contract Tower Program grant distributions are breaking ground. Projects in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi are in the process of replacing aging infrastructure, communications systems and obsolete equipment in control towers.
The full list of remaining projects, including project briefs and funding allocations, is available on the FAA’s FY2025 Contract Tower Program Final Selections webpage.
This federal investment into airport infrastructure is the FAA’s second in just as many months. The competitive Contract Tower Program supports similar initiatives outlined in the administration’s $5 billion Airport Terminals Program.
In October, the FAA announced over $970 million in grants to support airport terminal modernizations around the country. The funding, also allocated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will advance transformative facility improvements, multimodal transportation projects and terminal safety, sustainability and accessibility initiatives.
Securing grants up to $40 million, awarded terminal projects will contribute to a broader national strategy to maintain a safe, reliable and efficient air travel system in both large and small airports nationwide.
Award selections for the fifth and final year of the Airport Terminals Program and Contract Tower Program will be announced late in 2025. Combined, the two programs will have access to over $1 billion for transformative infrastructure projects at America’s airports, including additional funding up to $100 million for the Contract Tower Program.
