South Florida’s major airports are on a roll, as Palm Beach International became the latest this week to gain a multimillion dollar grant to upgrade its infrastructure.
The airport, which serves 14 commercial airlines, was awarded $17.2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help improve one of its three runways. The grant comes a little more than three months after the airport received $7 million to help fund the second phase of a terminal expansion and rehabilitation at its Concourse B.
The money is a so-called Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Airport Infrastructure grant aimed at fixing the pavement on two taxiways and the runway’s shoulders. The funding includes “pavement, lighting, construction, inspection, engineering and administration,” according to a statement from Palm Beach County. The grant will cover 75% of the project’s cost, with the remaining 25% coming from passenger facility fees.
“This grant will enhance safety at PBI by providing the funds needed to complete an important airfield rehabilitation project,” Director of Airports Laura Beebe said in the statement. “We greatly appreciate the investment in PBI’s infrastructure and the continuing commitment to provide the necessary funding for the modernization and improvement of the nation’s airports.”
An airport spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Banner grant year for Florida airports
The project’s funding is from a pool of $289 million being allocated to 129 airports in 40 states, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation website. The latest announcement was part of a seventh round of grants handed out this year, the FAA said in a statement.
“The projects are funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s AIG program, part of the $25 billion in total funding for airport improvements such as terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure improvements,” the FAA said.
“Americans are flying in record numbers, and the Biden-Harris Administration continues to invest in our airports to make travel safer and more convenient for the people who pass through these airports each day,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This latest round of funding will support key improvements to terminals, runways, and baggage systems and build on the work this administration is doing to modernize our aviation infrastructure.”
The DOT said that last month, the Transportation Security Administration screened a record 2.99 million passengers in a single day at the nation’s airports. The agency expects to screen more than 32 million travelers during the July 4th holiday travel period, a 5.4% increase over 2023.
Major airlines continue to add flights to and from Florida, which continues to be a favored destination for tourists from around the U.S. and from overseas. This week, South Florida’s airports confirmed Buttigieg’s forecast that they will be on the receiving end of substantial passenger volumes for the latest round of holiday travel.
Here is a sampling of airport terminal and runway improvement grants received this year by other major Florida airports:
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International: $50 million to partially fund a portion of a connector project linking Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
- Miami International: $15 million to partially fund the design phase of modernizing the central terminal’s Concourses E and F; $12 million to help rehabilitate an automated people mover connecting Concourse E with a satellite concourse.
- Orlando International: $61.9 million for an apron expansion.
- Orlando-Sanford International: $1 million for terminal expansion and rehabilitation.
- Melbourne Orlando International: $3 million to improve the terminal building.
- Southwest Florida International (Fort Myers): $8 million for terminal expansion and reconfiguration.
- St. Petersburg-Clearwater International: $6 million to add two gates, consolidate checkpoints, enlarge passenger holding areas and increase baggage assembly areas.
- Tallahassee International: $244,000 for runway improvements.