Members of the Mississippi Congressional Delegation announced $7.54 million in Airport Improvement Program grants for Mississippi airports Friday.
The 42 grants announced included $168,891 to Starkville’s George M. Bryan Airport for airfield guidance system installation, perimeter fencing and obstruction removal. A $550,343 grant was announced for Golden Triangle Regional Airport for drainage system installation, security enhancements, taxiway improvements and terminal building modification.
The AIP grants are funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), covering 90 to 95 percent for small primary, general aviation and reliever airports and up to 75 percent for large and medium primary hub airports. The remainder is usually covered by Mississippi Department of Transportation grants and the airport itself.
“They definitely help support the airport, as well as the MDOT grants,” said George M. Bryan Airport Manager Rodney Lincoln.
Golden Triangle Regional Executive Director Mike Hainsey said airports like GTR, with commercial service and more than 10,000 annual passengers are guaranteed a minimum of $1 million, and that he expected GTR to get its remaining funding around July 1, due to final AIP appropriations not being approved by congress until last month.
He added the FAA could provide extra funds to the airport if projects required more than $1 million.
Hainsey said GTR’s projects would include replacing all of its lights with LEDs, (light emitting diodes) which would result in 90 percent energy savings on lights, improving its taxiways and general aviation ramp, security and access control projects and access road renovations.
Some of the funds will also be used to do design and planning for a terminal renovation that will include improving the seating capacity of the airport.
“We’re kind of bursting at the seams here,” Hainsey said. “Last month, we had an 89 percent load factor.”
Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss), who represents the state’s third district, including Starkville said the grants would help maintain airport infrastructure, and that providing safe, efficient transportation was vital to economic growth in Mississippi.
A grant of $341,511 was announced for McCharen Field in West Point and $71,268 for Columbus-Lowndes County Airport.
“Municipal and general aviation airports in Mississippi use these FAA grants to maintain and improve their operations, which is important for supporting commerce, tourism, and emergency needs,” said U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. R-Mississippi. “I’m pleased these resources are being directed to communities across Mississippi.”