FAA Awards $627.7 Million in Airport Improvement Grants
The village of Newtok was granted over $21.1 million from a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to build a replacement airport at Mertarvik, the relocation village for Newtok.
The grant will be used for construction of a new replacement airport. The project is critical to the airport and to the village of Newtok, which is home to an Alaska Native community of 374 residents. The airport and the community will relocate to higher ground because the ground surrounding the airport and village is eroding. The residents depend solely on aviation to transport people, goods, mail, medicine and other essential services. The replacement airport project and the relocation of village residents is scheduled for completion in 2023, says the FAA.
“Airports serve as a lifeline for communities across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “Modernizing our infrastructure in a way that creates jobs, ensures safety, combats climate change, and fosters equity is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration. These Airport Improvement grants will help airports across the country better serve their communities.”
AIP projects promote safety, efficiency, environmental stewardship, infrastructure, and security at the nation’s airports. The grant announcement made on April 1st, 2021 also includes 449 grants to 390 airports in 39 states, Puerto Rico and the Federated States of Micronesia.
“These grants are an investment in safety and continued innovation,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Every airport in every community plays a vital role in our air transportation system.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will award more than $627.7 million in infrastructure and safety projects through the FY2021 Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
