The federal government has awarded Syracuse Hancock International Airport a grant of nearly $4.5 million, U.S. Rep. Daniel Maffei (D–DeWitt) and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner (D) announced today.
The grant money will pay for the construction of a new remain-overnight (RON) apron and a new taxiway to help keep flights on time, according to the lawmakers’ joint news release.
The Airport Improvement Program, a federal-grant program that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) administers, is providing the funding for the grant.
The same program is paying for $1.56 million in safety improvements at the airport that include the purchase of a sand spreader, a snowplow, aircraft rescue and fire fighting suits, and improvements to the airport’s runway.
Maffei and Miner announced that grant award on July 23.
The latest grant is providing federal funding for a RON apron and taxiway, which allow planes to park overnight and diverted planes to park in an area away from the main airport gates, according to the lawmakers.
The project will allow regularly scheduled flights access to their gates when an unoccupied airplane might otherwise take up the space.
The new construction will enable the planes to park on the new apron, which will improve airport flow and help keep passengers moving in and out of Hancock Airport, according to the release.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com