Biden-Harris Unveil Nearly $1B for Airport Upgrades in 46 States

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awards $970 million from Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 125 U.S. airports across 46 states, Guam, and Palau. This October 24th, 2024 announcement marks the fourth nearly $1 billion investment, advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s infrastructure goals while lowering costs, creating jobs, and boosting economic growth.

The FAA has historically invested in runways and control towers, but the new Infrastructure Law focuses on enhancing passenger experiences, accessibility, and sustainability, creating well-paying construction jobs. The current funding aids new baggage systems, larger security checkpoints, increased gate capacity, and modernized infrastructure.

“Investing in America’s airport infrastructure is about growing local economies, creating jobs, and ensuring safe, efficient travel,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today’s nearly $1 billion in grants modernize 125 airports, making operations safer and more accessible.”

See the funded airports data visualization here.

“We aim to enhance passenger safety and comfort,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Airports, Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E. “This investment also supports communities by offering good-paying jobs and boosting local economies.”

The $970 million funding supports 125 airport-related projects. Key projects include:

• $40 million to Tampa International Airport in Florida for connecting Terminal D with the main terminal and adding nine boarding bridges.
• $15 million to Denver International Airport in Colorado for baggage handling system reconstructions and lift replacements.
• $3.6 million to Des Moines International Airport in Iowa for constructing four new terminal gates and a waiting area.
• $1.5 million to Purdue University Airport in Indiana for replacing an 80-year-old terminal and meeting ADA requirements.
• $1 million to Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport in Alaska for terminal remodeling and expansion.

Grants boost airport competition by enabling new airline carriers, potentially lowering airfare:

• $33.2 million to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas for Midfield Terminal B, adding 20 gates and a 518-foot tunnel.
• $15 million to Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah for 16 new gates in Concourse B expansion.
• $10 million to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana for terminal reconstruction and expansion.

Funding improves airport-community connectivity:

• $9.7 million to Nashville International Airport in Tennessee for terminal access road improvements, including road widening and bridge construction.
• $7.9 million to Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York for updating the circulatory roadway.
• $4 million to Mobile Airport Authority in Alabama for a new access road linking buses to the airport.
• $3 million to Memphis International Airport in Tennessee for a dedicated terminal access road.
• $2.8 million to Kelly Field Airport at Port San Antonio in Texas for a new terminal and access road.

Grants refurbish traffic control towers:

• $13.5 million to General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport in Illinois for replacing a 65-year-old tower.
• $13 million to Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma for tower replacement and ADA improvements.
• $7 million to Shreveport Regional Airport in Louisiana for rebuilding the FAA-operated tower.
• $1.75 million to Rome Griffiss International Airport in New York for updating a 40-year-old tower.
• $1 million to Martin State Airport in Maryland for a new traffic control tower.
• $1 million to Atlanta Regional Airport – Falcon Field in Georgia for designing a new tower.

Grants improve terminal sustainability:

• $10 million to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts for energy-efficient air conditioning in Terminal B.
• $9 million to Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam for terminal roof renewable energy projects.
• $3 million to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina for solar photovoltaic array and storage systems.

Grants improve smaller community airport access:

• $2.5 million to Key West International Airport in Florida for a boarding bridge and Customs connection.
• $1.8 million to Thief River Falls Regional Airport in Minnesota for space optimization.
• $1.6 million to Palau International Airport for lighting and access road upgrades.
• $730,000 to Gallup Municipal Airport in New Mexico for terminal structural improvements.
• $400,000 to Addington Field Airport in Kentucky for terminal renovation and expansion.

Today’s funding is from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, offering $1 billion annually over five years for airport improvements. The law commits $25 billion to modernize airports. Discover more at faa.gov/bil.

Over 100 projects from earlier Airport Terminal Program grants are completed or nearly done. Examples include:

• $14.4 million to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona in 2022 for a permanent five gate ADA-compliant terminal.
• $11.8 million to Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in Washington in 2022 for a larger, energy-efficient terminal.
• $13.3 million to Key West International Airport in Florida in 2023 for a new airside terminal.
• $11 million to Missoula Montana Airport in Montana in 2022 for an energy-efficient terminal.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law significantly invests in U.S. infrastructure, rebuilding roads and bridges, expanding transit and rail, and modernizing ports and airports. Over $500 billion in funding has been announced for 63,000 projects, with nearly $1 trillion mobilized in private sector investments.