The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $17.8 million in Federal Aviation Administration grants to 10 Alabama airports for infrastructure upgrades, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) announced Tuesday.
In a statement announcing the grant award, Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke to the important role airports play in supporting local economies.
“Alabama’s local and regional airports play a significant role in our state’s economy, and I am proud that FAA sees the value in supporting them,” he said. “These improvements will go a long way toward increasing travel to and from Alabama and the overall safety of these airports.
“This investment stands to benefit several communities in Alabama, and I look forward to witnessing the growth and success of each of them.”
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The grants were administered through the fiscal year 2022 Airport Improvement Program. The program was funded in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022.
The grants were awarded to:
- Mobile International Airport — $6,762,732 to reconstruct an apron and $940,000 to improve airport drainage and erosion control
- Tuscaloosa National Airport — $4,213,116 to reconstruct an apron
- Auburn University Regional Airport — $2,533,041 to construct, extend, and improve a safety area
- Prattville Airport-Grouby Field — $1,425,182 to reconstruct an apron
- Isbell Field Airport (Fort Payne) — $829,227 to reconstruct a taxilane
- Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport — $456,716 to rehabilitate an apron
- Chilton County Airport (Clanton) — $261,736 to extend a runway
- Abbeville Municipal Airport — $236,700 to extend a runway
- Enterprise Municipal Airport — $160,000 to extend a runway
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
