The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced $1.776 billion in airport infrastructure upgrade grants on July 2 to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary later this weekend.
The grants were distributed across 46 states and will be used for fixing runways, making safety upgrades, and adding “family-friendly enhancements,” according to an agency news release.
“What better way to celebrate America than investing in its future. We’re ushering in the Golden Age of Transportation, and rebuilding our airport infrastructure is critical to making that vision a reality,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.
Many of the airports that received grants are among the busiest in the nation.
Denver International Airport received $88.8 million for pavement upgrades, while the Transportation Department gave $74 million to Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field, a joint civil-military airport in Idaho, for “runway rehabilitation, apron expansion, and upgrading visual guidance lights.”
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland received $62.4 million for “runway and runway lighting rehabilitation, and Houston Hobby Airport received $62.2 million for runway construction.
To complete taxiway construction and reconstruct an aircraft rescue and firefighting facility, the Transportation Department gave $47.6 million to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Florida’s Orlando International Airport received $36 million for rehabbing terminals, taxiways, and lighting, and California’s Oakland International Airport will see $28.1 million for taxiway rehabilitation.
“The FAA is prioritizing improving our nation’s airports and ensuring we issue grants quickly and efficiently,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.
Bedford said the funding goes beyond merely rebuilding runways and taxiways.
“It modernizes the travel experience for American families, ensuring our airports are safe and ready for the future,” he said.
The FAA said the money came from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which passed in 2021 under the Biden administration.
The law created a $14.5 billion Airport Infrastructure Grant program that began providing airport infrastructure funding in fiscal year 2022, over a five-year span. The FAA said it has now released the fifth and final installment of $2.89 billion in airport funding as part of fiscal year 2026 disbursements.
The program includes $2.39 billion for primary U.S. airports and up to $500 million for what the FAA refers to as “nonprimary airports.”
“These funds can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety, and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport transit connections, and roadway projects,” the FAA said in a webpage explaining the grant program.
A map of airport grants showing where the money has been invested in each fiscal year can be found on the FAA website.
