US to award $2.89b to airports under infrastructure law

The US FAA said Thursday it will award $2.89b to 3,075 airports under a new $1t infrastructure bill signed into law last month. Airports can use funds for runways, taxiways, safety, terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects. The infrastructure law provides $15b over five years and the FAA estimates there is a $43.6b backlog in airport modernization and safety projects. Atlanta's International Airport will receive $92.5m, the most of any airport, while Los Angeles International will get $79.3m and Chicago O'Hare $73.7m. During the pandemic, some airports were forced to put some projects on hold because of lower passenger volumes. Airports have received about $20b in emergency pandemic funding since March 2020 from Congress. San Francisco International Airport is set to receive $49.35m from the FAA for the current budget year. It will use the funds to completing the final phase of the Harvey Milk Terminal 1 – including the construction of a new check-in lobby, which was postponed due to COVID, and upgrading of the airport's electrical power distribution infrastructure. In total, San Francisco's airport is set to receive about $250m over five years. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the funds will shorten lines at the terminal.<br/>