LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Van Nuys Airport was awarded an $18.9 million grant today from the Federal Aviation Administration to resurface and seal the pavement on its primary runway, and smaller grants were also given to the Hollywood Burbank Airport and Hawthorne Municipal Airport.
The Van Nuys Airport pavement project is expected to extend the life of the runway's pavement, and construction is scheduled to begin next February and be completed in November 2022, officials said.
A $1.89 million grant was also awarded to the Hollywood Burbank Airport for land acquisition and a $1.57 million grant was awarded to the Hawthorne Municipal Airport to reconstruct a taxiway and seal taxiway pavement and pavement joints.
“Investing in our nation's infrastructure is how our country helped spark an aviation industry that now supports millions of jobs,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These Airport Improvement Program grants will help modernize America's airports and ensure that our air transportation system remains the safest and most efficient in the world.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation's FAA announced 488 grants Thursday to more than 477 airports, totaling than $898.9 million for infrastructure and safety projects through its Airport Improvement Program.
About $113 million of the funding came from the American Rescue Plan. The airports that received the grants span 49 states, as well as American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.
“These grants represent the legacy and vital role of airport infrastructure grant programs in helping the air transportation system operate safely,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Investing in our nation's infrastructure through AIP grants is a cornerstone of our commitment to safety.”
The announcement comes on the 75th anniversary of the Federal Airport Act of 1946, which was signed into law by President Harry Truman and provides federal investment for U.S. airports. Since 1946, 89,000 grants totaling $96 billion have been given by the FAA.