The rise of travel is substantial. And with a higher demand in the coming year, there comes an incentive to improve systems to adequately accommodate the needs of the consumers.
Adhering to traveler’s needs, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that an additional $1 billion would be available to fund renovations starting in 2023 for nearly 85 airports of varying sizes last summer.
“The work that goes in to build safer, more accessible, and sustainable terminals will provide opportunities for people across the nation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a critical investment not only in our nation’s infrastructure, but an investment in the future of our country’s workforce,” says FAA Deputy Administrator, A Bradley Mims, in a prepared statement.
Aiding with the allocation of funds, the Airport Improvement Program (AIP)—an organization under the FAA—supports the planning and development of nearly 3,000 airports that are a part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems—the airports that are a part of this are all commercial service airports, reliever airports and some public-owned aviation airports. The funding is determinant on passenger volume and directly supports the infrastructure of the facilities pertaining to the signage, markings, lighting, runways, and taxiways.
Among the grants that were awarded for the year, the projects include efforts to expand overall terminal capacity, increase sustainability, improve airport access to disadvantaged populations and rural airports, make for ADA friendly facilities, provide new air traffic control towers, and create multimodal transportation options for travelers.
In addition to this $1 billion infrastructure grant, another $15 billion was awarded to fund safety efforts and expand capacities, and $5 billion is available for updating air traffic control facilities.
Some of the major upcoming airport projects include a $1.4 billion expansion to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, a $7.1 billion expansion to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, and a $1.3 billion expansion and improvement to the Sacramento International Airport.
