Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood gets biggest chunk of new federal funds for airport makeovers
than 100 U.S. airports will be awarded $970 million in federal grants, the latest effort to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure — a top priority of President Joe Biden.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was awarded the most money with $50 million.
The new funding, announced Thursday, comes as airports in recent years have raced to modernize terminals and add new amenities, seeking to ride a rebound in air travel after the coronavirus pandemic. The latest round is on top of the nearly $2 billion granted to airports during the past two years for capital-improvement projects that include wider concourses, adding gates to accommoMore date more plane service and ensuring airports meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
“America has been thinking a lot about air traffic lately,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on a call with reporters Wednesday. “A flight doesn’t begin just when you settle into your seat on board. First, you’re in the terminal and your experience depends in many ways on the conditions of that terminal building.”
U.S. airports need $151 billion over the 2023to-2027 period to meet infrastructure needs, according to Airports Council International-North America.
Among the 114 airports to receive new funding are Chicago O’Hare International Airport with $40 million and Salt Lake City International Airport with $20 million.
The grants are a part of the Biden administration’s effort to promote projects backed by a bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021, highlighting funding for ports, transit, roads and bridges. The administration also said Thursday it is moving to hold airlines more accountable for better passenger service.