The Federal Aviation Administration will be investing over $400 million in U.S. airports ahead of the Labor Day travel weekend, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday.
The agency will disperse $481 million in grant money to airports in 36 states for development, planning, safety-related enhancements, and improvements to terminals, baggage claims, runways, and access roadways. Duffy said the FAA would deliver the grants to several airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, and El Paso International Airport.
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“From our regional hubs to some of America’s busiest airports, we are investing in critical infrastructure that will provide American families with a more seamless, efficient travel experience for years to come,” Duffy said in a statement. “Upgrading our runway infrastructure is part of our work to usher in the Golden Age of Transportation.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the improvements were aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of airports across the country.
The investment in Atlanta’s airport is one of the largest announced Thursday, with $100 million in grant money headed south to improve the facility’s runways, taxiways, terminals, and the safety of the area around the runways. Each of the grants delivered is funded through the Airport Infrastructure Grants program designated in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Trump administration announcement comes on what the FAA expected to be the busiest travel day of the Labor Day weekend, with about 54,000 flights expected on Thursday. Labor Day weekend has historically been a busy travel weekend, with the Transportation Security Administration expecting to screen over 17 million people over the holiday, with Thursday, Friday, and Monday anticipated to be the heaviest travel days.
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Modernizing U.S. airports and air travel systems has been a hallmark policy agenda of Duffy throughout his tenure, with the secretary recently announcing additional improvements to airports such as Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Airport.
Duffy has also prioritized air traffic control safety after a midair collision between a landing plane and a helicopter killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the first month of the Trump administration.
