Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $162,900 for the Finger Lakes Regional Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration. The federal funding will be used to acquire 27 acres of land and enable the airport to control land use within the runway protection zone for Runway 1.
“This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Finger Lakes Regional can grow and continue to safely serve residents, businesses and visitors to region for years to come,” said Senator Schumer. “Maintaining runway safety is essential for the success and growth of the Finger Lakes Regional Airport.”
“Investing in key infrastructure like airports is one of the fastest, most effective ways to support new job creation,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Expanding the airport and improving the safety of the airport’s runway can help provide better, more efficient service for travelers and business, and help strengthen the Finger Lake Region’s economy for the long term.”
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.