Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that Greater Rochester International Airport is set to receive a $1,448,112 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant for airport facility upgrades. Specifically, the funding will be used to rehabilitate the apron on taxiway C, where aircraft are loaded and unloaded, boarded, parked and refueled.
“This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Greater Rochester International Airport can continue to safely serve residents, businesses and all visitors to the Rochester Finger Lakes region for years to come,” said Senator Schumer. “Maintaining safety of the apron is a sure sign that Rochester is looking out for pilots and passengers in the air and on the ground.”
“This is an important investment for the Rochester International Airport,” Senator Gillibrand said. “Investments like this in our transportation infrastructure is one of the fastest, most effective ways to strengthen our economy. Updating the runway can help provide better, safer service for travelers and business, keep more flights on the move through Rochester, and help strengthen the local economy.”
The funding for Greater Rochester International Airport is part of the Airport Improvement Program, administered by DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration. The Airport Improvement Program provides grants to public agencies for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).
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.