USDOT awards grants to Syracuse, Oswego, Rome airports

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded three regional airports grant funding for upgrades at each facility.

The USDOT has 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 today.

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.

“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.

The Volney and Syracuse facilities weren’t the only Central New York airports benefitting from federal grant announcements today.

U.S. Representative Richard Hanna (R–Barneveld) on his office’s Twitter feed announced $6.2 million in federal grants for “needed upgrades” at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com