U.S. Department of Transportation awards $1.2 billion in airport safety and infrastructure grants

Key Takeaways

On September 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced awards of $1.2 billion in airport safety and infrastructure grants to more than 400 airports, many of which are county owned and operated. The total includes over $1 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and $152 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants. A complete list of grant awardees can be found here.

AIP grants fund capital projects without the financial burden of debt financing. The grants are flexible and may be used for runway reconstruction and rehabilitation, construction of firefighting facilities, noise mitigation, emissions reduction, and the maintenance of taxiways, aprons and terminals. With 34 percent of public airports directly supported by counties, AIP provides crucial funding for local governments to maintain and improve the nation’s airport infrastructure.

A longstanding county priority, NACo supports continued funding for the AIP and an increase of the federal share for airport development projects. NACo will continue to advocate for county infrastructure priorities as negotiations around FY 2021 federal spending levels are ongoing.