WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced $17,259,239 in federal funding to improve infrastructure at airports across Virginia. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s 2023 Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Grant Program, which funds airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, airport signage, airport lighting, and airport markings. In 2023, Virginia’s regional airports have already received $56,828,185 through the AIP.

“Our regional airports are critical for economic development in our communities,” said the senators. “We’re glad this federal funding will help improve safety and reliability by upgrading infrastructure at airports across the Commonwealth.”

The funding is distributed as follows:                                                        

• $4,875,000 for the Winchester Regional Airport to reconstruct its apron.
• $4,018,500 for the Leesburg Executive Airport to rehabilitate its apron, which Kaine recently announced in a visit to the airport.
• $3,401,884 for the Danville Regional Airport to rehabilitate its apron.
• $3,348,877 for the Manassas Regional Airport to reconstruct the taxiway.
• $951,500 for the Accomack County Airport in Melfa to construct a taxiway and light, mark, or remove non-hazardous obstructions like nearby buildings and towers in its airspace.
• $600,748 for the Lee County Airport in Jonesville to improve safety at the airport by installing navigational aids (NAVAIDS) and a runway vertical/visual guidance system, reconstructing airfield guidance signs, and rehabilitating lighting on the runway.
• $62,730 for the Mountain Empire Airport in Smyth County to reconstruct or replace the airport’s lighting vault, which houses the regulators, controls, and other equipment necessary to power and control airfield lighting systems.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported Virginia’s airports. Earlier this year, the senators announced federal grants of over $44 million and $6 million to enhance airport safety and capacity. Sen. Kaine has also introduced legislation to address aviation workforce shortages by supporting the education, recruitment, and development of pilots, aviation maintenance workers, and aerospace manufacturing workers.

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