The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded five regional airports grant funding for upgrades at each facility. The USDOT on July 31 awarded the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority a grant of $315,000. The Airport Authority will use the funding to acquire land-easement access to properties in close proximity to the airport […]
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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded five regional airports grant funding for upgrades at each facility.
The USDOT on July 31 awarded the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority a grant of $315,000.
The Airport Authority will use the funding to acquire land-easement access to properties in close proximity to the airport to remove trees and ensure safe takeoffs and landings in accordance with federal law.
U.S. Representative Daniel Maffei (D–DeWitt) and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner (D) announced the grant award in a news release Maffei’s office distributed July 31.
With this grant announcement, the federal government has awarded more than $6.3 million in funding for Syracuse Hancock International Airport since July 2013.
In addition to the Hancock Airport funding, the USDOT has also awarded the Oswego County Airport two grants totaling more than $569,000 to help “modernize” the facility.
The work will include upgrades to the taxiway, lighting, and wiring.
Maffei’s office also announced the Oswego facility grant awards in a separate news release that same day.
“This funding will help significantly modernize our airport, attract more travelers to Oswego County, and grow our local economy,” Bruce Bisbo, manager of the Oswego County Airport, said in the release.
This is the second grant the federal government has awarded the Oswego County Airport in less than a year.
Maffei’s office also announced more than $1.5 million in funding for the facility in August 2013.
U.S. Representative Richard Hanna (R–Barneveld) on his office’s Twitter feed on July 31 announced $6.2 million in federal grants for “needed upgrades” at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.
The airports in Salina, Volney, and Rome weren’t the only regional facilities benefitting from federal grant announcements.
The FAA also announced nearly $3 million for airports serving the Ithaca and Elmira–Corning areas.
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) made the announcement in a news release that Gillibrand’s office distributed on Aug. 1.
The FAA is part of the USDOT.
The Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport will use more than $2.1 million in federal funding to expand the terminal apron and purchase snow-removal equipment, the lawmakers said.
The facility will use more than $1.6 million of that amount to expand the apron to provide more parking for the aircraft.
The airport will increase the size of its de-icing area so it can treat several aircraft at one time, which will lead to “more efficient travel times,” according to the lawmakers’ news release.
Ithaca Tompkins will use the remaining $477,000 for snow-removal equipment, the news release said.
Its current equipment is 18 years old and reaching “the end of its lifespan,” the lawmakers said.
“Both of the grants will make travel significantly more efficient, especially during the winter,” Bob Nicholas, manager of the Ithaca Tompkins Airport, said in the news release.
Besides the funding for Ithaca Tompkins, the Elmira Corning Regional Airport will use $720,000 in federal funding to purchase an aircraft rescue and firefighting truck.
Elmira Corning Regional Airport has accommodated “dramatic” passenger growth over the last five years, Ann B. Crook, director of aviation at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport, said in the release.
“We now offer direct flights to Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Orlando, and St. Petersburg with a nearly all-jet fleet,” said Crook.
The federal government awards the funding through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which the FAA administers.
The AIP awards grants to public agencies for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).
The government draws funds obligated for the AIP from the Airport and Airway Trust fund, which user fees, fuel taxes, and other similar revenue sources support, the senators said.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com