Staff Reports
Airports across the state will receive federal stimulus money to help them keep afloat as travel numbers continue cratering due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The grants, announced by the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday, are heading to 100 Florida airports. They add up to more than $896 million.
The largest check, $296 million, is heading to Miami International, followed by Orlando International with $170 million, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International with $135 million and Tampa International with $81 million, Palm Beach International and Southwest Florida International with $37 million each and Jacksonville International at $28 million.
The list of grants continues, with dozens of regional airports and airstrips making the list. Tallahassee International Airport will get $21 million and Gainesville Regional Airport will get $3 million. The smallest Florida grant, just $1,000, will be sent to Everglades Airpark in Everglades City.
The airport funding was included in the $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in late March.
The wide-ranging package included money for business loans, a stimulus payment to taxpayers and reinforced state unemployment benefits by $600 a week. In total, the CARES Act included $10 billion in funding for airports “affected by the prevention of, preparation for, and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The act expands the federal share of Airport Improvement Program grants to 100%. Typically, AIP grant recipients must put down a percentage of a project’s cost.
An interactive map displaying where the grants funds will land is available on the FAA website.
