- How much money each airport is getting for airport upgrades
- hat each airport is being given grants for (re-paving runways, energy efficient systems, etc…)
The FAA has awarded more than $766 million in grants aimed at building safer, more sustainable, and more accessible airports across the United States. The funding, the will pay for projects at 279 airports in 44 states, as well as projects in Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The FAA receives about $.2 billion in funding each year, and in 2021 the FAA is planning on giving more than 1,800 grants. The funding will be used for projects that range from improving runways to making terminals more accessible to passengers with disabilities at airports supporting general aviation operations across the country.
Some examples of airports that will be given grants are Adirondack Regional Airport in Saranac Lake, New York, which will receive $2.8 million to re-pave 6,573 feet of their runway. The project will install three new pavement condition sensors to help the airport determine when it needs to remove snow and ice, and to help with reporting pavement conditions. Also, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky will receive $10.6 million to install a geothermal system in the terminal building to make the airport more energy efficient. The airport will heat and cool the 400,000-sq-ft terminal building with the new geothermal system. The geothermal system will significantly reduce pollutants, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter associated with the burning of natural gas. As part of the funding, $20.4 million has been allocated to reduce emissions and improve air quality at major airports across the country, including $5.9 million to purchase vehicles that produce zero-emissions such as electric shuttle buses. Another $14.5 million will be used to lower airport and ramp equipment emissions. Several grants will electrify portable cooling units that provide air conditioning while aircraft are parked at the gate.
