Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that $1,428,660 in federal funding was awarded to the Village of Endicott through the Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Endicott will use this federal grant to rehabilitate the north taxi lane and the main apron at Tri-Cities Airport. The existing pavement has reached the end of its useful life and requires rehabilitation to ensure safe aircraft operations.
“This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Tri-Cities Airport can continue to safely serve residents, businesses and all visitors to the Binghamton region for years to come,” said Senator Schumer. “Maintaining safety of the apron and taxi lane is a sure sign that Tri-Cities is looking out for pilots and passengers in the air and on the ground.”
“This is an important investment for the Tri-Cities Airport and the surrounding region,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Ensuring that the airport infrastructure is safe and up-to-date is imperative to moving people and goods through the region and is tremendously important for the local economy and local aviation.”
Richard Miller, Village of Endicott Public Works Director said, “We are very happy to receive the funding because without it we would not be able to afford this high maintenance project on our own.”
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.