U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced Tuesday the Federal Aviation Administration will award $77,229,257 in airport aid to 55 airports in Kentucky to help respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funding includes $1,086,134 to be awarded to Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, and is part of the Trump Administration's newly created Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program.
The funding will support continuing operations and replace lost revenue resulting from the sharp decline in passenger traffic and other airport business due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds are available for airport capital expenditures, airport operating expenses including payroll and utilities, and airport debt payments.
“We would like to thank Majority Leader McConnell, Senator Paul, and Representative Comer, for their efforts in helping to obtain these funds for Barkley Regional Airport as part of the relief effort that will help sustain us through these challenging times,” said Airport Executive Director, Dennis Rouleau.
The CARES Act also provides funds to increase the Federal share to 100 percent for grants awarded under the fiscal year 2020 appropriations for Airport Improvement Program and Supplemental Discretionary grants. Under normal circumstances, AIP grant recipients contribute a matching percentage of the project costs. The FAA will use a streamlined application and grant-agreement process to make this funding immediately available for critical airport needs. The funds will be available as soon as the airport sponsor executes a grant agreement.
"This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nation's airports during this crisis and save workers' jobs," Chao said.
