Monday, June 24, 2019

Region airports getting grants

Fifteen airports in the Gulf Coast I-10 region will receive 16 airport infrastructure grants totaling $34.5 million from the Federal Aviation Administration. They were among 358 grants awarded to 327 airports in 46 states and the Pacific Islands announced by the FAA Monday. The agency said the $495 million in grants is the second allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding for airports across the United States. In the Gulf Coast, the grants, from highest to lowest were: Eglin Air Force Base/Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Valparaiso, Fla. ($11,527,654, expand apron, expand terminal building); Lakefront, New Orleans, La. ($8,505,000, rehabilitate runway 18R/36L); Lafayette Regional/Paul Fournet Field, Lafayette, LA. ($6,449,350, reconstruct apron); Mobile Regional, Mobile, Ala. ($2,361,754, rehabilitate taxiway); Mobile Downtown, Mobile, Ala. ($1,350,000, update airport master plan study, and $822,207, acquire equipment, rehabilitate runway 14/32); Bob Sikes, Crestview, Fla. ($900,000, rehabilitate runway 17/35); Dothan Regional, Dothan, Ala. ($700,061, acquire equipment, acquire safety and/or security equipment, reconstruct apron, rehabilitate runway 14/32); H.L. (Sonny) Callahan, Fairhope, Ala. ($325,000, expand access road); Gulfport-Biloxi International, Gulfport, Miss. ($319,500, update airport master plan study); Foley Municipal, Foley, Ala. ($305,000, reconstruct taxiway); Ozark-Blackwell Field, Ozark, Ala. ($303,444, construct fuel farm); Peter Prince Field, Milton, Fla. ($300,000, update airport master plan study); Trent Lott International, Pascagoula, Miss. ($138,308, rehabilitate runway 17/35); Stennis International Airport, Bay St. Louis, Miss. ($99,061, rehabilitate taxiway); Poplarville-Pearl River County, Poplarville, Miss. ($69,750, improve access road, improve airport drainage). The FAA says airport infrastructure in the United States, with 3,332 airports and 5,000 paved runways, supports economic competitiveness and improves quality of life. According to the FAA’s most recent economic analysis, U.S. civil aviation accounts for $1.6 trillion in total economic activity and supports nearly 11 million jobs. (Source: GCAC, 06/24/19) Complete list of grants