Ogdensburg International Airport has received $2,565,051 in federal funding and Massena International Airport has received $234,918, the offices of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced Wednesday.
A total of $5,252,378 in federal funds was provided for airports in upstate New York.
The Ogdensburg Airport funds will be used to expand and rebuild the terminal. The Massena Airport will use the funds to renew the airfield’s signage and markings.
“The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority would like to express our deepest gratitude to Senator Schumer for his tireless support and leadership in securing the BIL AIG grant for the Ogdensburg International Airport,” said Steve Lawrence, Executive Director of the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority. “This funding is critical to the ongoing renovation and modernization of our terminal and ensures we can continue to provide state-of-the-art facilities to our community and visitors.”
The funds will be used to support airport security and infrastructure improvement projects at nine airports. These federal funds were administered through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Infrastructure Grant program, which Schumer fought hard to create and fund in his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The projects include developing and implementing new airport security plans, as well as building and expanding terminals, taxiways and airport signage.
“The bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act breathes new life into our North Country and Upstate New York airports. From our major cities to our rural communities, Upstate New York’s regional airports are gateways for commerce, our tourism industry, and critical connection points for our residents, and we must ensure they have the resources they need to provide travelers with a safe and comfortable experience,” said Senator Schumer. “This over $5 million federal investment in new terminals, runways, signage, and other critical infrastructure improvements will help airports from Ogdensburg to Plattsburgh reach new heights. I fought hard to secure billions in federal funding for the Airport Infrastructure Grant Program in my bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act because I know airport improvements will boost our local economies, and so far we have provided over $400 million to airports across New York through this program. I am proud to step up today to help get these important airport improvements underway.”
“New York’s airports welcome millions of travelers each year, and it is critical that they have the modern infrastructure passengers need to safely take off and land,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This more than $5 million in federal funding will provide much-needed safety and infrastructure improvements at airports across New York State. I am proud to have championed securing this funding through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act and will continue to fight to urgently modernize and improve airports across New York State.”
The senators explained that the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $5 billion in competitive grants for airport terminal development projects that address the aging infrastructure of the nation’s airports. This is the latest round of funding. The funds can be used for runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport transit connections and road projects. In the last three years, since the AIG was strengthened by the bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the senators have provided over $400 million to airports across New York.
