Summary
- $1 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIGs) awarded by the US Government for passenger facility improvements and sustainability projects.
- Bipartisan support for airport modernization as airports have invested in enhancing the passenger experience with new amenities.
- Major international airports and smaller regional airports, including Chicago O’Hare and Punta Gorda, receiving funding for upgrades and expansions.
The United States Government will award around $1 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIGs). The investment package boasts 114 separate grants in 44 states and three territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands), with the allocated money spent on improving passenger facilities and promoting sustainability projects.
Airport modernization
The new funding announced on Thursday is part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda agenda. It has received bipartisan support from lawmakers as airports have continued to invest substantially in modernizing their facilities in the past few years. These modernizations emphasize enhancing the passenger experience as these include new amenities for travelers that put passengers first, as airports across the United States have seen a rebound to levels matching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Photo: Andrii Vodolazhskyi | Shutterstock
In a call with reporters on Wednesday about the additional funding, as reported by Yahoo, 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.”
The newest round of funds to airports will be in addition to the already $2 billion in allocated funds since 2022 for airport improvement projects. In January 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it would award almost $250 million in grants to upgrade airports in 37 states. The $2 billion in funds was used to add extra gates to accommodate the increase in travel, construct wider concourses, and make sure that airports met standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure traveling was accommodating for everyone.
The FAA Just Gave Out $518m To Improve Airport Infrastructure
The FAA has awarded a total of $1.1 billion of the $3.2 billion total funding available in 2022.
Nationwide investment
Among the projects to benefit from the investment are several major international airports, including United Airlines and American Airlines hub Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which will receive funding of $40 million to improve Terminal 3 with a new TSA checkpoint, additional hold room, and updates to baggage handling equipment among other upgrades.
Photo: On The Run Photo | Shutterstock
Kentucky’s Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport will also receive $7.5 million in funding that will be used to add four TSA screening lanes at Terminal A security checkpoint to keep up with the influx of passengers.
Smaller airports also beneficiaries
Multiple, smaller regional airports will also benefit and receive large infrastructure grants such as:
- Punta Gorda Airport (PGD) in Florida – $10 million for the airport’s expansion, including renovations to the security checkpoint and holding rooms.
- Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) in Maine – $6.5 million to construct a new terminal to replace the current undersized terminal.
- Appleton International Airport (ATW) in Wisconsin- $3.4 million for a new four-gate concourse expansion that will add 60,000 square feet to the airport.
- Standing Rock Airport (Y27) in North Dakota – $700,000 to build a new general aviation terminal building as there is no current terminal building.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has allocated over $500 billion, distributing funds to over 46,000 infrastructure-related projects. Almost $10 billion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been spent upgrading airports.
