The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is awarding $970 million in grants to help modernize 125 U.S. airports across 46 states, Guam, and Palau. The funding comes from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
According to the FAA, the program focuses on making the passenger experience better, improving accessibility for passengers with disabilities, and supporting sustainability while creating good-paying construction jobs. This latest round of funding includes grants for new baggage systems, larger security checkpoints, increasing gate capacity, and modernizing aging infrastructure throughout terminals and ground transportation.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the funding will help make the airports’ operations “safer, more accessible, and more convenient for travelers.”
Project Examples
Many grants contain an element that will build new or expanded terminal facilities. Among them are:
- $40 million to Tampa International Airport in Florida to connect Terminal D to the main terminal with an automated people mover and add nine passenger boarding bridges to move passengers through more efficiently.
- $15 million to Denver International Airport in Colorado to reconstruct the baggage handling system including, the oversized baggage lift replacements to increase efficiency and capacity.
- $3.6 million to Des Moines International Airport in Iowa to construct four new terminal gates and a waiting area.
- $1.5 million to Purdue University Airport in Lafayette, Indiana, to replace an 80-year-old terminal and meet Americans with Disability Act (ADA) requirements.
- $1 million to Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport in Alaska for the remodel and expansion of the existing terminal building that includes a passenger waiting area.
Several projects receiving funding for expanded terminal facilities can help to improve competition by increasing opportunities for service by new or competing airline carriers. According to the FAA, greater competition at airports can result in lower airfare costs for consumers. Examples of these grants include:
- $33.2 million to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to fund a portion of the new Midfield Terminal B construction project, which will add at least 20 new gates to accommodate increased airline operations and competition. This grant will fund a portion of phase 2, which includes the construction of a 518-foot underground tunnel to connect the new terminal to the existing terminal.
- $15 million to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah to fund phase 4 of the Airport Redevelopment Program for construction of approximately 16 new gates as part of the Concourse B expansion to increase capacity and access for new entrants.
- $10 million to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana to fund a portion of the terminal reconstruction and expansion project, including the checkpoint lanes, baggage claim, and approximately three gate areas to increase energy efficiency and capacity.
Some grants contain an element that will increase terminal sustainability. Among them are:
- $10 million to General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, for a new energy-efficient air conditioning system in Terminal B.
- $9 million to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam to fund the terminal roof project, which includes the installation and integration of a renewable energy system, including solar photovoltaic panels and components for the safe storage and output of energy to the airport terminal.
- $3 million to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina to fund a solar photovoltaic array installation and battery electrical storage system to provide a sustainable and resilient power source for the airport terminal.
Other grants will focus on improving airport access in smaller communities and refurbishing airport traffic control towers. More information on the Airport Terminal Program is available here. In total, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has provided $25 billion to modernize the country’s airport infrastructure.