Upstate airports awarded federal COVID-19 relief funding through ARPA

Airports serving Binghamton, Ithaca, Elmira, Syracuse, and Watertown are among the upstate New York facilities that will benefit from federal COVID-19 relief funding.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded nearly $39.2 million in COVID-19 relief funding to airports and counties across Upstate, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) announced.

These grants are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to provide economic-relief funds for pandemic costs. Those costs are related to operations, personnel, cleaning, sanitization, janitorial services, debt-service payments, rent and minimum-annual guarantees to airport concessions located at primary airports, and combating the spread of pathogens at a given airport.

Funding use

Syracuse Hancock International Airport will use more than $1 million for both large and small concessions.

Watertown International Airport was awarded more than $1.1 million in general ARPA funding and over $19,000 for large and small concessions.

Greater Binghamton Airport (receiving more than $32,000), Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (obtaining over $93,000), and Elmira-Corning Regional Airport (receiving more than $134,000) will also use their funding for projects involving concessions, the lawmakers said.