FAA to award $1 billion to airports for improvements

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made $1 billion available to 99 airports across the country for terminal improvement projects. Governments have until Oct. 16 to apply for FY 2024 competitive grants.

Up to 55% of the funding will go to large hub airports, medium hub airports will get 15%, and small hub airports will receive 20%. At least 10% of the total funding will go to non-hub and non-primary airports.

The funds are available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Almost $2 billion has been awarded to 150 airports over the past two years through the law.

For FY 2023, airports in every state except Delaware, Rhode Island and Wyoming received grants. In California, eight airports received grants, including in Fresno, Monterey, Palm Springs and Sacramento. Seven Texas airports received funding, including in Killeen, Lubbock, McAllen and Fort Worth. Airports in Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands also received grants.

The largest awards approved in FY 2023 include:

• $50 million to Chicago’s O’Hare to rehabilitate and expand a 60‐year‐old terminal. The award includes improvements to the central passenger corridor width, a reconfigured TSA checkpoint, new ADA compliant and family restrooms, expanded hold rooms and updates to the passenger baggage system.
• $38 million to Baltimore/Washington International for concourse expansion that includes baggage system improvements, direct airside connection between Concourses A and B, expanded apron level operations space, larger hold rooms, new concession space and modern restrooms.
• $31 million to LAX to reconstruct and reconfigure the highway system that leads into the airport.
• $30 million to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., to build a 355,000-square-foot, 14‐gate terminal building.
• $22.5 million to Boston Logan that will go toward the ongoing $700 million expansion of Terminal E. The award includes a new oversized baggage belt, an expanded arrivals curb, renovations to the arrivals level canopy and two new flex gate passenger boarding bridges.