December 17, 2021
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$4.3 million headed to Asheville Regional Airport, thanks to infrastructure law - WLOS

DEC. 17, 2021 - Asheville Regional Airport will receive $4.3 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the FAA announced Thursday. (Photo credit: WLOS staff)
DEC. 17, 2021 - Asheville Regional Airport will receive $4.3 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the FAA announced Thursday. (Photo credit: WLOS staff)

FLETCHER, N.C. (WLOS) — Asheville Regional Airport is one of the beneficiaries of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FAA announced the more than $4 million in funding late Thursday afternoon.

"We’ve been one of the fastest growing airports in the country for a number of years,” Asheville Regional Airport's Tina Kinsey said.

Kinsey said the airport saw a 43 percent growth in travelers in 2019, so, naturally the airport needs to grow, too.

"We have many infrastructure projects in our capital planning, forward looking planning,” Kinsey said.

Some of those projects include expanding and modernizing the terminal and building more space for planes.

“That’s a significant infrastructure project,” Kinsey said.

Still, that doesn’t mean the $4 million from the infrastructure law will automatically support the projects.

“The FAA has not released specific guidelines about how this specific funding can be used, and we do have to follow guidelines from the FAA,” Kinsey said.

Local travelers like Aria Sawicki have noticed a difference at the airport.

“I think it’s gotten busier,” said Sawicki, who was traveling home from Houston. “It seems like they’ve been investing in it more.”

Busier is right. Kinsey said the airport has grown steadily since 2012.

In total, the FAA awarded North Carolina’s 71 airports $91.7 million in funding from the infrastructure law.

"In order to move forward, we do need funding streams, and this will certainly help,” Kinsey said.

The FAA estimates the backlog of airport projects is about $43.6 billion.

“Infrastructure is expensive,” Kinsey said.

And travelers like Sawicki are looking forward to the upgrades.

"Might need more gates here,” Sawicki said.

The airport is expecting to break ground on this expansion sometime next year.

The infrastructure money can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects. This is the first of five annual rounds of funding North Carolina airports will receive.

The following commercial airports in North Carolina are estimated to receive funding during the first year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:

  • Albert J. Ellis in Richlands: $1,737,407
  • Asheville Regional in Asheville: $4,309,300
  • Charlotte Douglas International in Charlotte: $43,247,316
  • Coastal Carolina Regional in New Bern: $1,447,441
  • Concord-Padgett Regional in Concord: $1,832,642
  • Fayetteville Regional in Fayetteville: $2,142,598
  • Piedmont Triad International in Greensboro: $5,117,453
  • Pitt-Greenville in Greenville: $1,035,200
  • Raleigh-Durham International in Wake County: $14,698,288
  • Wilmington International in Wilmington: $3,781,091

CLICK HERE to see an interactive map and listing of funding for all North Carolina airports.



source: https://wlos.com/news/local/43-million-headed-to-asheville-regional-airport-thanks-to-infrastructure-law

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