DOT awards $870M to airports

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said on August 4 that the Federal Aviation Administration would distribute $870 million in airport infrastructure grants across the country. The money will fund 339 grants to airports in 44 states and two U.S. territories, according to the Transportation Department and FAA. The agencies said the awards will support runway work, safety upgrades and terminal-related projects, alongside what the department described as “family-friendly infrastructure.” The awards are part of the Airport Infrastructure Grants program created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. FAA program material says the law provides multi-year funding for airport-related projects that can include runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability work, terminals, airport-transit connections and roadway projects. The FAA said this August release is tied to the fifth and final installment of that funding stream. (transportation.gov) ### Which airports got the biggest checks? Los Angeles International Airport received the single largest announced award at $289 million for a new terminal access road, the Transportation Department said. Miami International Airport was allocated $50 million to reconstruct a terminal roof. Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio received $9.1 million to rehabilitate passenger bridges and rebuild key facilities, according to the FAA release. (faa.gov) Juneau International Airport in Alaska was awarded $4.2 million for snow-removal equipment replacement, while Charleston International Airport in South Carolina received $3.7 million for terminal expansion. Sugar Land Regional Airport in Texas was allocated $3.5 million for runway reconstruction, the department said. (transportation.gov) ### What kinds of projects does this money actually pay for? The FAA said Airport Infrastructure Grants can be used for core airfield and access work rather than only terminal cosmetics. Program descriptions list runways, taxiways, signage, lighting and markings among eligible uses, and the broader IIJA airport funding language also includes terminal, roadway and transit-connection projects. (transportation.gov) The August 4 announcement framed the latest round around infrastructure, safety and passenger-facing improvements. Duffy said the investments would support airports “from our regional hubs to some of America’s busiest airports” and provide a more efficient travel experience, according to the department’s statement. (faa.gov) ### How does this fit into the broader federal airport funding picture? The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act set aside $15 billion for airport-related projects over five years, FAA materials say. A separate FAA page describes the Airport Infrastructure Grant program as providing $14.5 billion over five years starting in fiscal 2022, including dedicated amounts for primary and nonprimary airports, reflecting program-level allocations within the broader airport funding framework. (transportation.gov) The department has issued multiple airport grant rounds this year. In June, Duffy announced more than $523 million for 332 grants in 43 states through the same Airport Infrastructure Grants program, according to a prior Transportation Department release. In July, the department separately announced $1.776 billion in FAA airport grants for another set of upgrades. (faa.gov) ### Where can airports and contractors see what comes next? The Transportation Department and FAA posted the August 4 award announcement and examples of individual projects on their newsroom pages. The DOT Competitive Grants Dashboard also lists federal transportation grant opportunities, while the department’s Airport Terminal Program notice says roughly $1 billion in fiscal 2026 competitive terminal funding is available under the IIJA and that this will be the final notice for that program. (transportation.gov) The next concrete step is on the federal side: airports, consultants and contractors can track project-specific awards and future solicitations through FAA and DOT grant pages as the remaining IIJA airport programs move through fiscal 2026. (transportation.gov 1) (transportation.gov 2)