U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced today that the Trump Administration will award more than $273 million in airport safety and infrastructure grants through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to 41 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Puerto Rico.
“This $273 million federal investment in our nation’s airports will strengthen safety, improve travel, generate jobs, and benefit local communities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
Mississippi airports in Philadelphia, Tunica, and Vicksburg will be receiving a total of $572,176 in grants from @USDOT. This yearly funding helps our airports make important safety upgrades and plan for the future. https://t.co/OmUqTZVBSB
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) July 28, 2020
Three of those include Mississippi airports:
- Vicksburg Municipal Airport – $212,194
- Tunica Municipal Airport – $181,572
- Philadelphia Municipal Airport – $178,410
A complete listing of grants and an interactive map of airports receiving funding is available on the FAA website.
The total includes just over $242 million from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and $31 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants to equal a 100 percent federal share.
“The safety of our nation’s airports is of paramount importance to the FAA,” said FAA Administrator Stephen M. Dickson. “These grants will allow these necessary projects to continue.”
The grants will be used for a variety of critical infrastructure and safety projects. The projects include purchasing aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment, constructing runways and taxiways, repairing runways and taxiways, installing aircraft lighting and signage, conducting airport master plan studies and installing airport perimeter fencing.
Magnolia Tribune
