WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today announced that 12 more Mississippi airport facilities will benefit from more than $4.15 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Each of these local airports will be better equipped to serve Mississippians with important infrastructure upgrades,” Wicker said. “I am pleased that FAA is working to enhance and improve air travel in our state, aiding economic development in our communities.” 

“These grants make important investments in the safety and efficiency of Mississippi airports. I’m pleased that the Department of Transportation is making these funds available to ensure that these airports can continue to be transportation and economic development tools for Mississippi communities,” Cochran said.

The 12 FAA grants for Mississippi will support the following airport projects:

• Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Gulfport Biloxi Regional Airport Authority – $2,829,060 for the rehabilitation of the airport runway
• Philadelphia Municipal Airport, City of Philadelphia – $269,264 for construction of a terminal building
• McCharen Field Airport, City of West Point – $234,900 for apron, runway, and taxiway rehabilitation, the removal of obstructions, and an update to the airport master plan study
• Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport, City of Poplarville – $114,999 for airport drainage improvements and installation of perimeter fencing
• Louisville Winston County Airport, City of Louisville – $114,925 for the rehabilitation of the airport apron 
• Hardy-Anders Field Natchez-Adams County Airport, Natchez-Adams County Airport Board – $108,717 for airport runway and taxiway rehabilitation
• Columbus-Lowndes County Airport, City of Columbus – $97,190 for the rehabilitation of the airport apron 
• Copiah County Airport, County of Copiah – $81,000 for a runway aeronautical survey
• Winona-Montgomery County Airport, City of Winona and County of Montgomery – $78,010 for apron, runway, and taxiway rehabilitation
• University-Oxford Airport, University of Mississippi – $76,816 for an update to the airport master plan narrative report and airport layout plan
• C.A. Moore Airport, City of Lexington – $74,099 for airport drainage improvements
• George M. Bryan Airport, City of Starkville – $73,675 for the installation of a perimeter fence

In March, the Mississippi Senators reported that 19 Mississippi airports were being awarded more than $4.49 million in airport improvement grants. Funding for the grants is drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust fund, which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes and other, similar revenue sources.

Last month, the Senate passed a new FAA reform bill, which includes provisions to expand the Airport Improvement Program. The bill was first approved by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, of which Wicker serves as a senior member.

Cochran is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which in April approved a FY2017 appropriations bill that would fund the Airport Improvement Program at the authorized level. The bill would support construction at airports across the country, including many municipal and general aviation airports in Mississippi.