WASHINGTON – Members of the Mississippi congressional delegation today announced 42 grants worth more than $7.54 million for infrastructure and safety improvements at local airports throughout the state.

U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Representatives Gregg Harper, R-Miss., Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., and Trent Kelly, R-Miss., said the Airport Improvement Program grants are being provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  The grant funding is drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes and other, similar revenue sources.

“Mississippi’s local airports connect our communities to the wider world with fast, efficient transportation,” Wicker said.  “These awards are an important investment in the state’s economic development and represent a renewed commitment to safety and security.”

“Municipal and general aviation airports in Mississippi use these FAA grants to maintain and improve their operations, which is important for supporting commerce, tourism, and emergency needs,” Cochran said.  “I’m pleased these resources are being directed to communities across Mississippi.”

“Providing a safe and efficient means of transportation for both travel and commerce is vital to economic growth throughout Mississippi,” stated Harper. “These grants will help to maintain the vital infrastructure of our airports and keep these gateways to Mississippi open and accessible to all.”

“Industries in rural areas throughout Mississippi rely heavily on municipal airports to support their operations, and these grant awards ensure those airports remain safe and available. It is a great example of a sound federal investment in our local communities,” Palazzo said.

“Maintaining infrastructure at airports in the First District and across the state is a constant challenge for cities and counties,” Kelly said.  “The FAA grants will help support the important role these airports play in the communities they serve.”

The following Mississippi airports, including grant recipients, are receiving FAA grants: 

• Key Field, Meridian Airport Authority – $563,097 for equipment acquisition, runway safety improvements, airfield guidance sign installation and taxiway rehabilitation
• Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Golden Triangle Regional Airport Authority – $550,543 for drainage system installation, security enhancements, taxiway improvements, and terminal building modifications
• Hattiesburg-Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport, City of Hattiesburg – $516,625 for a 1,700-foot taxiway extension
• Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport, Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport Authority – $380,838 for airfield guidance system and NAVAIDS installation, and perimeter fencing
• McComb–Pike County John E. Lewis Field, City of McComb – $375,063 for runway safety improvements, and runway and taxiway rehabilitation
• McCharen Field, City of West Point – $341,511 for full runway lighting reconstruction, tree removal
• Roscoe Turner Airport, City of Corinth – $279,458 for taxiway reconstruction, and apron and runway rehabilitation
• Iuka Airport, Tishomingo Districts 1 2 & 3 – $270,810 for RNAV aeronautical survey, runway safety improvements, taxiway and apron reconstruction, and tree removal
• Louisville-Winston County Airport, City of Louisville – $252,361 for apron rehabilitation
• Clarke County Airport, Clarke County Board of Supervisors – $231,886 for hangar construction
• Yazoo County Airport, City of Yazoo – $209,169 for taxiway rehabilitation
• Tunica Municipal Airport, Tunica County and Tunica County Airport Commission – $174,399 for a 1,750-square-yard apron expansion
• Ruleville-Drew Airport, Cities of Ruleville and Drew, and Sunflower County – $170,144 for hangar construction, and 2,800-square-yard apron expansion
• Cleveland Municipal Airport, City of Cleveland – $168,891 for land acquisition, perimeter fencing, and apron rehabilitation
• George M. Bryan Airport, City of Starkville – $168,891 for airfield guidance system installation, perimeter fencing, and obstruction removal
• Vicksburg Municipal Airport, City of Vicksburg – $168,891 for airport drainage improvements
• Calhoun County Airport, Calhoun County – $167,064 for land acquisition, and hangar construction
• Okolona Municipal-Richard Stovall Field Airport, City of Okolona – $161,761 for runway rehabilitation
• Greenville Mid-Delta Airport, City of Greenville – $159,852 for airport drainage improvements, and perimeter fencing
• Magee Municipal Airport, City of Magee – $158,148 for runway and apron rehabilitation, and obstruction removal
• Booneville/Baldwyn Airport, Prentiss County – $155,314 for hangar construction
• Copiah County Airport, Copiah County – $135,465 for apron and taxiway rehabilitation
• Indianola Municipal Airport, City of Indianola – $134,258 for runway and taxiway rehabilitation
• Monroe County Airport, Monroe County – $130,188 for weather reporting equipment installation
• Belzoni Municipal Airport, City of Belzoni – $128,959 for hangar construction
• New Albany-Union County Airport, City of New Albany and Union County – $125,847 for land acquisition, and obstruction removal
• University-Oxford Airport, University of Mississippi – $100,608 for runway rehabilitation
• Hardy-Anders Field Natchez-Adams County Airport, Natchez-Adams County Airport Board – $93,853 for wildlife hazard assessments
• I.H. Bass Jr. Memorial Airport, City of Lumberton – $93,068 for miscellaneous NAVAIDS installation
• Thigpen Field Airport, City of Bay Springs – $91,867 for runway lighting rehabilitation
• James H. Easom Field Airport, City of Newton – $89,321 for runway rehabilitation
• Kosciusko-Attala County Airport, City of Kosciusko – $85,834 for land acquisition
• Brookhaven-Lincoln County Airport, City of Brookhaven – $82,800 for master plan study update
• C.A. Moore Airport, City of Lexington – $82,724 for airport drainage improvements
• Philadelphia Municipal Airport, City of Philadelphia – $82,671 for apron lighting installation, and perimeter fencing
• Grenada Municipal Airport, City of Grenada – $82,581 for runway rehabilitation
• Houston Municipal Airport, City of Houston – $82,581 for fuel facility construction
• John Bell Williams Airport, Hinds County – $82,581 for airport drainage improvements
• Columbus-Lowndes County Airport, City of Columbus – $71,268 for airport drainage improvements, and runway rehabilitation
• Dean Griffin Memorial Airport, Wiggins-Stone County Airport Board – $67,500 for RNAV approach aeronautical survey
• Hesler-Noble Field Airport, City of Laurel – $47,196 for master plan study update
• Hollandale Municipal Airport, City of Hollandale – $33,981 for runway and taxiway rehabilitation