Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that $234,000 in federal funding was awarded to Cortland County through the Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Cortland will use this federal grant to replace the current airport beacon, wind cone, segmented circle and Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) that have reached the end of their useful life at Cortland County- Chase Field Airport.
“This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Chase Field can continue to safely serve residents, businesses and all visitors to Cortland County for years to come,” said Senator Schumer. “Maintaining safety for planes landing and taking off is a sure sign that Cortland is looking out for pilots and passengers both in the air and on the ground.”
“This is a great investment for Cortland County and Chase Field Airport, Senator Gillibrand said. “Ensuring that airplanes can take off and land in the safest conditions is a crucial aspect to ensuring that the airport will operate at its highest capacity in both safety and efficiency.”
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) through the Federal Aviation Administration provides grants to public agencies — and, in some cases, to private owners and entities — for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). The NPIAS, which is prepared and published every 2 years, identifies public-use airports that are important to public transportation and contribute to the needs of civil aviation, national defense, and the Postal service.
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) was established by the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982. Since then, the AIP has been amended several times, most recently with the passage of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Funds obligated for the AIP are drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust fund, which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes, and other similar revenue sources.