WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today announced a $5.17 million federal grant for improvements at the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.

The grant will fund the third and final phase of the airport’s west taxiway lighting system, which is nearing the end of its usable life-cycle and requires upgrades to ensure safe airfield operations in low-visibility environments.  The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) will fund the project. 

“Federal investments at the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport have preserved safe air travel for thousands of Mississippians in the capital region.  This grant will fund the final phase of renovations to the airport’s primary runway lighting, ensuring that pilots can safely land, even in the worst visibility conditions,” said Wicker.

“This FAA infrastructure grant is an investment in safety and economic competitiveness at the Jackson-Evers Airport.  Completing the taxiway rehabilitation will ensure the state’s largest airport remains a safe facility for travelers and an economic development asset,” Cochran said.

The AIP grant will support the rehabilitation of 5,924 feet of Taxiways A and B, including full lighting system rehabilitation, and pavement mill and overlay.

The Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers airport grant follows the recent award of a $727,700 AIP grant to Hawkins Field in Jackson for runway rehabilitation.  Hawkins Field supports the Mississippi National Guard’s UH-60 Blackhawk operations.

The FAA has awarded nearly $13 million in AIP grants for Mississippi airports in 2017.