FAA Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims recently toured Augusta Municipal Airport in Augusta, Kansas to speak on President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will fund work at many rural airports.
According to a news release from the FAA, the Biden administration is investing in rural communities to facilitate well-paying jobs and enhance economic prospects.
“These communities may be small in size, but they have a big impact on keeping our National Airspace System operating safely and efficiently. With this new funding, Augusta Municipal and airports across the country will get to work on projects that have waited for years,” said Mims while touring the facility.
According to the release, the airport will be allocated $159,000 in funds from the FAA as part of the bill’s objective to back local infrastructure.
The FAA will utilize the funds in the bill to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly projects such as "runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects."
According to the release, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is expected to facilitate economic opportunities at rural airports as the bill calls for a $20 billion investment in the country’s airports.
The measure is expected to facilitate high-speed Internet, water infrastructure, road bridge improvement and electrical improvements while providing better paying jobs in communities, according to the FAA.