Several U.S. airports are set to receive an infrastructure boost as the government issues over $500 million in grants. The funds are part of a larger project to develop and maintain the country’s airport infrastructure. Many airports have already completed projects funded through this program, while a number of new airports, including SeaTac, will now receive money.

Grants totaling over $500 million

The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding $566.4 million through 296 grants in 47 states to modernize airports across the country. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington will receive a significant portion of that amount, $45.4 million.

This money will be used to fund structural, seismic and engineering improvements to Concourse S to bring it into compliance with design standards. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented:

“As Americans fly in record numbers, the Biden-Harris administration is improving our nation’s airports to make travel more convenient for passengers. The funding we’re announcing today, made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure bill, will help airports across the country make the improvements needed to ensure safety, efficiency and sustainability for years to come.”

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Which airports will also receive funding?

While SeaTac will receive a large amount for its development, another airport will receive even more: Kailua/Kona Ellison Onizuka Kona International in Keahole, Hawaii ($49.6 million). This money will be used to rehabilitate runway 17/35 to improve safety. Other airports on the list include:

• $43.3 million at Charlotte/Douglas International in North Carolina (Construction of a de-icing platform, taxiways, aircraft parking, leveling and drainage, lighting and signage in accordance with current FAA standards)
• $34.6 million to Louisville Muhammad Ali International in Kentucky (Extension of the existing terminal by 2,940 square meters)
• $20.6 million to Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, Nevada (Replacing elevators to improve safety and ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act)

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• $20.1 million to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia (Financing the renovation of taxiways and taxi lanes to improve safety)
• $18.2 million to Sacramento International in California (Reconstruction of a pedestrian path)
• $13.5 million to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International in Louisiana (Funding a new people mover system for the terminal to move passengers more efficiently through the airport)
• $8.2 million to Moline Quad Cities International in Illinois (Extension of the existing terminal by 1,300 square meters)

Bipartisan Infrastructure Act

The funding is part of the bipartisan Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) bill signed into law by President Biden, which allocated a total of $15 billion in AIG funds to airports across the country, part of the bill’s total of $25 billion for airport and air traffic control infrastructure development.

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So far, about $9 billion has been spent on modernizing many airports. In fact, about half of the 3,000 airports in the U.S. have received grants under the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Airports that have benefited from the program so far include Asheville Regional in North Carolina ($4.3 million), Albuquerque International Sunport in New Mexico ($8.4 million) and San Diego International in California ($24.1 million).