FAA allocates over $400 million to upgrade U.S. airports before Labor Day travel surge
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the FAA will distribute $481 million in grants to airports in 36 states for runway, terminal and safety improvements ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy revealed that the FAA will channel more than $400 million in grant money to airports in 36 states, targeting runway, taxiway, terminal, baggage-claim and roadway improvements. The $481 million allocation, funded by the Airport Infrastructure Grants program of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will benefit hubs such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and El Paso International Airport.
Atlanta will receive $100 million, the largest single award, to modernize its runways, taxiways and surrounding safety zones. The investment is timed for the Labor Day travel weekend, when the FAA expects about 54,000 flights and the TSA to screen over 17 million passengers. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the upgrades are intended to boost safety and operational efficiency, contributing to what Duffy calls a "Golden Age of Transportation." The move continues Duffy’s broader agenda of modernizing U.S. air travel infrastructure.
Why it matters
The funding will improve airport safety and capacity just before the busiest travel weekend of the year.
In this story
