Grants funded projects at 37 WA airports to make flying safer and more enjoyable

information released, Pangborn/Alaska Air file photo

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Airport Improvement Program funded improvements at 37 airports across the State of Washington in 2023, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, announced today.

A total of $190,387,738 went directly to Washington state airports large and small during the year for projects to modernize runways, maintenance areas, and equipment. In addition, the State of Washington received a $1,000,000 planning grant.

The money came from the Federal Aviation Administration’s three primary airport grant programs: Airport Infrastructure Grants, Airport Terminal Program, which are funded through the BIL, and the Airport Improvement Program.

“This year, 37 airports across the State of Washington received a total of nearly $200 million in federal funding to add capacity for more flights, modernize aging facilities, and improve the overall experience of travelers coming in and out of our state. The benefits of these investments can also be felt far beyond our airports – stronger air service translates to economic growth, high-paying jobs, and increased connectivity between our rural and urban communities,” Sen. Cantwell said. “From funding new terminal projects in Spokane and Pullman to improving security wait times at Sea-Tac, federal airport grants are delivering results in every region across the state and will continue to pay dividends for Washington’s economy for generations to come.”

“Airports are absolutely essential to getting people where they need to go—and when our airports lack the capacity, infrastructure, or technology to serve passengers efficiently, it can cause major headaches and delays,” said Sen. Murray. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’ve now brought nearly $200 million in federal funding home to airports across Washington state this year, from SeaTac to Spokane and Wenatchee to Chehalis. This funding will help our airports make significant improvements—from adding security screening capacity, to constructing new taxiways and aprons, to updating lighting and signage—and as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep working to deliver more investments like this to help airports of all sizes upgrade their facilities, build capacity, and better serve people throughout our state.”

Here is a summary of the total amount of 2023 funding received by airports located in each region. More grant details below: 

Region: Total Airport BIL and AIP Grants Received in 2023

  • Puget Sound: $79,358,033
  • Eastern Washington: $73,527,247
  • Central Washington: $18,890,647
  • Northwest Washington: $16,568,340
  • Southwest Washington: $789,471
  • Olympic Peninsula: $1,254,000

Total for Puget Sound: $79,358,033

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: $68,102,862

  • Improve/Modify/Rehabilitate Terminal Building (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $31,500,000
  • Add Additional Security Screening Capacity (Airport Terminal Program): $16,000,000 – see previous release
  • Expand Access Road (Airport Improvement Grant): $7,598,075
  • Noise Mitigation Measures for Public Buildings within 65 – 69 DNL (Airport Improvement Grant): $5,000,000
  • Acquire Snow Removal Equipment (Airport Improvement Grant): $4,020,000
  • Noise Mitigation Measures for Residences within 65-69 DNL (Airport Improvement Grant): $2,512,500
  • Reconstruct Taxilane (Airport Improvement Grant): $1,472,287

Boeing Field/King County International Airport: $3,979,713

  • Install Runway Incursion Lighting (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $2,601,587
  • Shift or Reconfigure Existing Taxiway / Reconstruct Taxiway Lighting / Reconstruct Runway Lighting / Reconstruct Taxiway / Reconstruct Runway (Airport Improvement Grant): $1,378,126

Auburn Municipal Airport: $3,950,528 

  • Install Runway Vertical / Visual Guidance System; Construct/Extend/Improve Safety Area; Rehabilitate Runway; Install Airfield Guidance Signs; Reconstruct Taxiway Lighting (Airport Improvement Grant): $3,363,328
  • Construct/Modify/Improve/Rehabilitate Hangar (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $587,000

Tacoma Narrows Airport: $1,238,130

  • Install Perimeter Fencing not Required by 49 CFR 1542,Obstruction Marking/Lighting/Removal (Airport Improvement Grant)

Renton Municipal Airport: $1,200,000

  • Reconstruct Taxiway Lighting/Reconstruct Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant)

Harvey Field (Snohomish): $587,000

  • Seal Apron Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Taxilane Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints (Airport Infrastructure Grant)

Bremerton National Airport: $300,000

  • Conduct Airport Related Environmental Assessment/Plan/Study (Airport Improvement Grant)

Total for Eastern Washington: $73,527,247

Spokane International Airport: $53,736,794

  • Expand Apron/Construct Taxilane (Airport Improvement Grant): $25,880,455
  • Terminal Renovation and Expansion (TREX) Program (Airport Terminal Program): $15,000,000 – see previous release
  • Terminal – PFC only: Gates and Related Areas (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $6,428,595 – see previous release
  • Terminal – PFC only: Gates and Related Areas (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $6,427,744

Pullman/Moscow Regional Airport: $8,410,206

  • Gate and Boarding Bridge for New Terminal (Airport Terminal Program): $6,365,000 – see previous release
  • Construct Terminal Building, Environmental Mitigation (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $1,045,206 – see previous release
  • Construct Terminal Building (Airport Improvement Grant): $1,000,000

Walla Walla Regional Airport: $8,053,506

  • Construct/Extend/Improve Safety Area; Reconstruct Runway Lighting; Reconstruct Airfield Guidance Signs; Install Miscellaneous NAVAIDS (Airport Improvement Grant): $6,321,590
  • Rehabilitate Runway Signage/Markings; Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $1,031,916
  • Construct or Improve Fuel Farm (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $700,000

Anderson Field (Brewster): $854,807

  • Construct Taxilane/Construct Taxiway/Shift or Reconfigure Existing Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant): $550,807
  • Construct Taxilane/Construct Taxiway/Shift or Reconfigure Existing Taxiway (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $304,000

Felts Field (Spokane): $737,000

  • Construct Apron (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $587,000
  • Construct Apron (Airport Improvement Grant): $150,000

Methow Valley State Airport: $373,000

  • Construct Heliport/Helipad (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $223,000
  • Construct Heliport/Helipad (Airport Improvement Grant): $150,000

Colville Municipal Airport: $330,000

  • Update Airport Master Plan or Study (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $304,000
  • Update Airport Master Plan or Study (Airport Improvement Grant): $26,000

Port of Whitman Business Air Center: $308,934

  • Install Airport Beacon (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $158,934
  • Install Airport Beacon (Airport Improvement Grant): $150,000

Odessa Municipal Airport: $300,000

  • Construct Apron (Airport Improvement Grant)

Grand Coulee Dam Airport: $243,000

  • Install Runway Vertical/Visual Guidance System (Airport Improvement Grant): $150,000
  • Install Runway Vertical/Visual Guidance System (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $93,000

Omak Airport: $180,000

  • Reconstruct Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant)

Total for Central Washington: $18,890,647

Pangborn Memorial Airport (Wenatchee): $8,437,515

  • Reconstruct Taxiway / Reconstruct Taxiway Lighting / Reconstruct Airfield Guidance Signs (Airport Improvement Grant): $6,354,214
  • Construct Access Road/Construct Service Road; Extend Taxiway; Install Perimeter Fencing (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $2,083,301

Tri-Cities Airport: $4,400,000

  • Install Runway Vertical/Visual Guidance System (Airport Improvement Grant): $3,000,000
  • Reconstruct Runway Lighting; Reconstruct Taxiway Lighting; Shift or Reconfigure Existing Runway, Install Runway Vertical/Visual Guidance System (Airport Improvement Grant): $1,400,000

Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field: $3,709,460

  • Extend Taxilane, Install Perimeter Fencing (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $2,089,460
  • Acquire Snow Removal Equipment (Airport Improvement Grant): $1,350,000
  • Extend Taxilane, Install Perimeter Fencing (Airport Improvement Grant): $270,000

Bowers Field (Ellensburg): $1,469,387

  • Construct Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant): $969,387
  • Construct Taxiway/Extend Taxiway/Remove Taxiway/Reconstruct Airfield Guidance Signs/Shift or Reconfigure Existing Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant): $300,000
  • Reconfigure Apron, Rehabilitate Taxilane (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $200,000

Lake Chelan Airport: $464,285

  • Seal Apron Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints, Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $304,000
  • Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints. Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Apron Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints (Airport Improvement Grant): $160,285

Prosser Airport: $250,000

  • Seal Apron Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Runway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Reconstruct Runway Lighting, Install Runway Vertical/Visual Guidance System (Airport Improvement Grant)

Richland Airport: $160,000

  • Seal Apron Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Runway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints; Seal Taxiway Pavement Surface/Pavement Joints (Airport Improvement Grant)

Total for Northwest Washington: $16,568,340

Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field): $5,500,000

  • Rehabilitate Taxiway; Rehabilitate Apron; Install Perimeter Fencing (Airport Improvement Grant)

Skagit Regional Airport: $5,308,340

  • Install Airfield Guidance Signs; Reconstruct Taxiway Lighting; Rehabilitate Taxiway; Shift or Reconfigure Existing Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant)

Bellingham International Airport: $3,500,000

  • Acquire Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting Safety Equipment; Acquire Snow Removal Equipment, Construct/Rehabilitate/Modify/Expand Snow Removal Equipment Building (Airport Improvement Grant): $2,200,000
  • Shift or Reconfigure Existing Taxiway (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $1,300,000 – see previous release

Friday Harbor Airport: $1,680,000

  • Improve Airport Drainage/Erosion Control (Airport Improvement Grant): $1,100,000
  • Conduct Airport Related Environmental Assessment/Plan/Study (Airport Improvement Grant): $500,000
  • Conduct Energy Efficiency Assessment (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $80,000

Lopez Island Airport: $330,000

  • Construct/Extend/Improve Safety Area; Install Airport Beacon; Install Weather Reporting Equipment (Airport Improvement Grant)

Orcas Island Airport: $150,000

  • Update Airport Master Plan or Study (Airport Improvement Grant)

Anacortes Airport: $100,000

  • Improve Airport Drainage/Erosion Control (Airport Improvement Grant)

Total for Southwest Washington: $789,471

Chehalis-Centralia Airport: $450,000

  • Update Airport Master Plan or Study (Airport Improvement Grant): $300,000
  • Update Airport Master Plan or Study (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $150,000

Southwest Washington Regional Airport: $339,471

  • Conduct Airport Related Environmental Assessment/Plan/Study; Reconstruct Apron; Reconstruct Taxiway (Airport Improvement Grant)

State of Washington: $1,000,000

  • Update State/Regional System Plan or Study (Airport Improvement Grant)

Total for Olympic Peninsula: $1,254,000

Jefferson County International Airport: $804,000

  • Construct Taxiway; Install Airfield Guidance Signs (Airport Improvement Grant): $500,000
  • Construct Taxiway; Install Airfield Guidance Signs (Airport Infrastructure Grant): $304,000

William R Fairchild International Airport (Port Angeles): $300,000

  • Construct Taxilane; Construct Taxiway; Construct/Modify/Improve/Rehabilitate Hangar (Airport Infrastructure Grant)

Bowerman Airport (Hoquiam): $150,000

  • Reconstruct Apron, Reconstruct Taxilane (Airport Improvement Grant)

Last year, Senators Cantwell and Murray worked hard to secure funding for air travel infrastructure nationwide as part of the Biden-Harris Infrastructure Law. With their support, the infrastructure package provided a total of $25 billion for airport improvements, including $5 billion for the Airport Terminal Program, $5 billion for Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facilities, and $15 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grants. In addition, Sens. Cantwell and Murray also helped to secure over $217 million in Airport Rescue Grants for Washington airports to help them weather the COVID-19 pandemic.