U.S. Department of Transportation awards $1.2 billion in airport safety and infrastructure grants
Upcoming Events
Related News
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.
Attachments
Related News
Federal district court issues ruling preventing the federal government from imposing immigration compliance mandates on grant recipients
On November 4, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the U.S. Department of Transportation cannot condition federal grant funding on a recipient’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts.
County Countdown – Nov. 17, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
FAA announces planned flight reductions at 40 major airports—including county-owned airports—amid ongoing government shutdown
On November 6, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced plans to reduce the number of flights in and out of 40 major airports across the U.S. starting November 7.