FAA awards Hancock International Airport $165,000 for drainage improvements

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Hancock International Airport more than $165,000 for drainage renovations.

The improvements will target the airport’s service road to protect the runway’s access road from “deterioration,” U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) said in a joint news release that Schumer’s office issued Tuesday.

Specifically, the airport will use these funds to replace 30 feet of drainage pipe that has “deteriorated” below the roadway surface, the lawmakers said.

This funding is awarded through the airport-improvement program (AIP), which the FAA administers. The FAA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The airport-improvement program provides 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).

Funds obligated for the AIP are drawn from the Airport & Airway Trust Fund, which user fees, fuel taxes, and other similar revenue sources support, according to the release.

“Keeping our airport runways in top-notch shape is crucial for traveler safety and for attracting business and tourism to the region,” Schumer said. “With this funding, the Syracuse Hancock International Airport will be able to make the critical infrastructure and access road upgrades to increase safety and efficiency for the passengers and pilots that fly in and out of Onondaga County every day.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com