The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the allocation of $20 million in grants to 20 airport-owned air traffic control towers across 17 states in the United States.
This financial aid, stemming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is aimed at enhancing or constructing new control towers to bolster safety and support essential aviation services including commercial and cargo flights, emergency responses, agricultural aviation, and flight training.
This initiative is a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, focusing on infrastructural rejuvenation across the country.
The grants are specifically directed towards smaller and regional airports, emphasizing the administration’s effort to upgrade the aviation system and ensure its safety and efficiency for future generations.
Shannetta R. Griffin Discusses Impact on Jobs and Local Economies
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted the significance of the funding, stating, “Today’s announcement is another example of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to modernizing America’s aviation system and keeping it safe and efficient for generations to come.” He further noted the initiative’s focus on providing resources to smaller communities that have historically been overlooked.
FAA Associate Administrator for Airports, Shannetta R. Griffin, P.E., elaborated on the impact of these investments, stating, “These investments expand the resources available to airports and help ensure airport traffic control towers across the country and the men and women who work in them are able to effectively do their jobs and communicate with pilots.” Griffin also mentioned the positive implications for safety, job creation, and local economic stimulation.
Background on the Airport Infrastructure Grants Program
The funding is part of the FAA’s Airport Infrastructure Grants Federal Contract Tower Competitive Grant program and follows nearly $1 billion already allocated to 114 airports nationwide through the Airport Terminals Program. These grants are instrumental in sustaining, constructing, and modernizing control towers, in addition to installing necessary communications equipment.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law represents a monumental commitment to revitalizing the nation’s infrastructure, encompassing roads, bridges, public transit, ports, and airports. To date, the administration has unveiled plans for over 50,000 infrastructure projects, facilitated by over $427 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and generating more than $640 billion in private sector investments in manufacturing and clean energy within the United States. Further details are available at HERE.