KEY POINTS
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The FAA is funding 280 Airport Improvement Program grants to airports in 46 states and three territories.
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Major project awards include $30.7 million for runway reconstruction at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and $18.9 million for terminal expansion at Shreveport Regional Airport.
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Funding includes $10.9 million to equip 3,000 airport vehicles with vehicle movement area transmitters at 61 airports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is providing $1.1 billion in Airport Improvement Program grants to upgrade airport infrastructure and improve runway safety, according to a Sept. 14, 2026, announcement from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
The grants will support 280 projects across 46 US states and three territories.
What Projects Does the Funding Target
The awards include project funding for runways, terminals, noise mitigation, contract tower construction, and technology designed to help air traffic controllers track vehicles operating on runways and taxiways.
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$42.8 million for noise mitigation projects at 10 airports.
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$30.7 million for runway reconstruction at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
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$18.9 million for a terminal expansion at Shreveport Regional Airport in Louisiana.
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$11.5 million for a new contract tower at Mankato Regional Airport in Minnesota. Contract towers are typically operated by a private company with FAA oversight, as seen in smaller, low activity airports.
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$2 million for a terminal expansion at McAllen International Airport in Texas, including baggage claim, ticketing counters, restrooms, and nursing stations.
Additional Airport Improvement Program funding may be used for runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, markings, and other safety-related infrastructure needs.
Airport Vehicles to Receive Tracking Technology
The FAA also said it is directing $10.9 million to equip 3,000 airport vehicles with vehicle movement area transmitters, or VMATs, at 61 airports. The technology is intended to give air traffic controllers greater visibility into vehicle movements on runways and taxiways. [Read more from the FAA: What Are VMATs and How Do They Work?]
“Vehicle transmitters [are] critical safety tools ... to ensure our air traffic controllers have the best visibility possible,” Duffy said in the announcement.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the grants will help airports deploy VMATs and provide controllers with greater situational awareness as they manage an increasingly complex National Airspace System.
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