US Airports Get Big Boost for Upgrades

The US Federal Aviation Administration recently announced that it will award nearly $970 million in Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIGs) for improved passenger facilitation and sustainability projects. This noteworthy investment will be spread into 114 individual grants in 44 states and three territories.

Chicago O'Hare Airport will receive $40 million to finance infrastructure developments to Terminal 3, and Washington Dulles International Airport will receive $35 million to fund part of a 14-gate terminal building. Other projects include Los Angeles Airport, which will receive $31 million to improve roads, and San Francisco International Airport, which will also receive $31 million to upgrade mechanical and electrical components.

United States Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated: "A flight doesn't begin just when you settle into your seat on board. First, you're in the terminal, and your experience depends in many ways on the conditions of that terminal building." These investments "will facilitate passenger access to airports, create jobs and increase safety for everyone," he added.

With a growing demand for air transportation in the last couple of years and passenger traffic crossing pre-pandemic numbers, infrastructure development and maintenance needs must be addressed to improve passenger experience.

Apart from funds being directed to airports that are still under construction, smaller regional airports will also receive significant infrastructure grants such as:

• Punta Gorda Airport in Florida will receive $10 million for the airport expansion and renovation.
• Presque Isle International Airport in Maine will receive $6.5 million to construct a new terminal.
• Appleton International Airport in Wisconsin will receive $3.4 million for a new four-gate concourse expansion, adding 60,000 square feet to the airport.
• Standing Rock Airport in North Dakota will receive $700,000 to construct a new general aviation terminal building.

This new funding is part of President Biden's Investing in America Agenda and has received bipartisan support. Nearly $10 billion of the $550 billion allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been disbursed for upgrading airports.