Michigan airports are getting the much-needed funding they deserve through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law! The Lansing State Journal reported on the substantial $2 million the Capital Region International Airport will receive to upgrade infrastructure, expand navigation systems, and make travel easier for the passengers who pass through the airport every day.
These improvements to Lansing’s airport will be made no thanks to Congressman John Moolenar. Despite the fact that the Capital Regional International Airport is located in his district, he voted against the historic legislation in November.
Michigan airports will receive a total of $72,826,671 in 2022 thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Learn more about the federal investments across the state here.
Read the entire piece from Lansing State Journal below:
Lansing’s Capital Region International Airport will receive almost $2 million from the Federal Aviation Administration this year, the fourth largest sum to be doled out to a Michigan airport from President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package.
The allocated $1,943,441 will go toward an undetermined project, part of $15 billion earmarked by the law for airports nationwide.
Director of Marketing Katherine Japinga said in an email the specific project will be announced sometime this spring after the airport receives final guidance from the FAA.
Part of the federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP), the funding can only be used for improvements to the airport’s actual infrastructure. That includes projects concerning runways, taxiways, terminals, airport-transit connections, roadways, safety and sustainability. This can include airfield upgrades and land acquisition as well as navigational aid systems that pilots can see from the air, according to FAA guidance for the program.
The funding cannot be used for operational costs like training, building maintenance, vehicles and equipment, marketing or cosmetic purchases like artwork or landscaping.
“With President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Michigan airports have the chance to make travel easier and airports more enjoyable,” Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes said in an emailed statement. “This funding is not only critical for giving the Capital Region International Airport a chance to modernize and improve airport amenities for travelers, but will also create countless new jobs for Michiganders over the next five years — a game changer for our economy.
In the statement, Barnes also criticized U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, who represents the district containing the airport, for voting against the infrastructure bill last November.
