FEDERAL aviation administration announces grants for arizona and new mexico airports

Five airports in Arizona and New Mexico have been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration for airport safety and infrastructure construction grants.

The funding, equaling just over $4 million, is part of a larger $273 million in new airport safety and infrastructure grants released by the FAA for airports in 41 states.

In a statement, Elaine Chao, secretary of the Department of Transportation, said new grant funding for the nation’s airports will “strengthen safety, improve travel, generate jobs, and benefit local communities.”

Some $242 million in grants is coming through the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, while $31 million is being funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

The grants will be used for everything from constructing and repairing runways and taxiways, to installing signage and lighting, and building airport perimeter fencing.

In Arizona, the Kingman Airport is receiving $329,000 in grant funding for the rehabilitation of a runway. The Cochise County Airport, to the west of the city of Wilcox, is slated to receive $164,000 for an apron reconstruction project.

In New Mexico, the Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport is getting nearly $167,000 for the installation of weather reporting equipment; while the Moriarty Municipal Airport is slated for just under $164,000 for the installation of a runway vertical/visual guidance system.
​
One of the largest grants, at $3.1 million, is going to the Roswell International Air Center for a long-planned apron rehabilitation.

By Garry Boulard

---