The AIP grants, which include entitlement and appropriated funds, represent the third round of funding for airfields in Mississippi.
On Thursday, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), along with U.S. Representative Michael Guest (R-MS), announced the award of $17 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants to improve eight Mississippi airports.
The eight third-round Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants include:
- Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Jackson – $13,596,966 for taxiway and taxiway lighting rehabilitation
- Tunica Municipal Airport, Tunica – $1,150,000 for taxiway lighting and runway lighting reconstruct, and runway vertical visual guidance system installation
- George M. Bryan Airport, Starkville – $947,826 for runway extension
- John Bell Williams Airport, Raymond – $746,988 for runway lighting reconstruction
- Grenada Municipal Airport, Grenada – $239,229 for runway rehabilitation and sealing runway pavement and pavement joints
- Yazoo County Airport, Yazoo City – $144,000 for updating the airport master plan
- Bruce Campbell Field, Madison – $135,000 for apron reconstruction
- Vicksburg Municipal Airport, Vicksburg – $55,328 for runway rehabilitation
Senator Wicker said that continually improving aviation infrastructure is essential to maintaining the safety, capacity, and capability of airports in our state.
“These investments in airports across Mississippi will help promote economic development, travel, and tourism jobs,” Wicker said.
Senator Hyde-Smith added that airport improvement grants provide pivotal funding that allows Mississippi communities to repair and improve their airport facilities whether they’re major facilities like Medgar Evers or smaller.
“These facilities represent assets that can support and grow economic development,” Hyde-Smith said.
“Air travel and shipping are critical components of Mississippi’s economy to create robust centers of trade and growth,” Congressman Guest said. “With these grants, Mississippi will be able to expand our critical air infrastructure systems to create an even more prosperous Mississippi.”
The AIP grants, which include entitlement and appropriated funds, represent the third round of funding for airfields in Mississippi.
On May 12, 2022, Mississippi lawmakers welcomed the announcement of more than $15 million in investments from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for enhancement projects at 29 Mississippi airfields.
On August 30, 2021, Wicker and Hyde Smith announced that 9 Mississippi airports were awarded $6.6 million in AIP grants.
