FAA awards $970 million to improve airport terminals

Airports across the United States will get bigger terminals, faster baggage systems and enhanced security features to meet growing travel demand through federal grants totaling $970 million.

The grants, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s (BIL) Airport Terminal Program, will fund projects at 114 airports across the country in 44 states and three U.S. territories.

The Airport Terminal Program is one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and follows over $240 million in funding for Airport Infrastructure Grants. The law provides $1 billion annually for five years for Airport Terminal Program grants.

Projects receiving funding will improve the customer experience, address accessibility issues and improve safety for air travelers.

Improvements will include new baggage systems, larger security checkpoints, increased gate capacity and modernizing aging infrastructure throughout terminals and ground transportation, the FAA said.

Nine grants will address the needs of aging air traffic control towers.

The awards are in addition to nearly $2 billion for airport terminals announced over the past two years. The vast majority of these terminal projects are under construction, the FAA said.

Projects to expand terminals to handle greater passenger volume include:

• $35 million to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia to build a 14-gate, 400,000-square-foot terminal building, including connections to the Aerotrain and Metrorail.
• $20 million to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah to expand Concourse B by 16 gates. 
• $10 million to Hector International Airport in Fargo, North Dakota, to rehabilitate and expand its existing terminal. Rehabilitation includes upgrades to lighting, reconfiguration and expansion of hold rooms, and improving Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliance. Expansion includes four new gates for a total of nine, increasing hold room space, expanded ticketing/baggage handling, expanded restrooms and post-security concessions.

Grants to improve security-screening areas, provide faster and more reliable baggage systems, and increase accessibility for passengers with disabilities include:

• $40 million to Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois for improvements to Terminal 3 to include increasing the central passenger corridor width, a reconfigured TSA checkpoint, new hold room, a new ADA compliant and family restroom and updates to the baggage system.
• $31 million to Los Angeles International Airport for a combination of new, extending, widening and utility improvements of surrounding roadways. The project also includes underground Low Impact Development (LID) stormwater containment systems.
• $26.6 million to Denver International Airport to replace the baggage handling system, including the control system. The new system will improve energy efficiency and increase capacity.

Grants designed to improve terminal sustainability include:

• $31 million to San Francisco International Airport to replace critical mechanical and electrical components (VFDs, fans, dampers, actuators, control valves, sensors, and other associated elements) of the HVAC system at the International Terminal. Replacing these components will improve fire-life safety compliance, reduce energy usage, reduce maintenance costs and improve resilience.
• $27 million to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina to replace up to 16 Passenger Boarding Bridges and associated Ground Power Units and Pre-Conditioned Air units.

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