TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida’s smaller airports are getting a funding boost thanks to a bill signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday.
House Bill 631 changes how the state of Florida provides funding to airports for construction and renovation using money from the state Department of Transportation, focused specifically on grants funded by the federal government.
In the past, airports were open to a few different types of grants for funding, somewhat based on how many passengers boarded flights at their locations each year.
The Federal Aviation Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, oversees how airports around the U.S. are planned and developed. Analysis by the Florida Legislature said that process is to focus on “safety and security” and to make this goal attainable, the FAA gives out grants through the Airport Improvement Program, to assist with infrastructure.
In order to get AIP funding, airports must be on a list in the National Plan of Integrated Airport systems, which is updated every two years and classifies airports by category and hub. Funding for airports is determined by their classification on this list.
FDOT also provides financial help to airports for safety efforts, security, preservation, improving capacity, buying land, and planning and economic development through its own Aviation Grant Program, funded by the State Transportation Trust Fund.
At the moment, when an AIP grant is involved, airports in Florida only get help for up to 50% of project costs for commercial service airports, when they have fewer than 100,000 annual boardings per year.
Starting July 1, now that DeSantis has signed HB 631 into law, airports with lower passenger counts can get up to 80% of funding from the AG fund, as long as federal funds are available, too. Essentially, the law expands the group of airports that are able to get funding from the available programs.
