WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today announced the award of $4.81 million for improvements to 18 airports in Mississippi. The grants will be awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“This large slate of FAA grants will help make targeted improvements that will improve safety, expand capacity, and support economic development at airports across our state,” Wicker said.

“These FAA awards will support much needed infrastructure improvements at airports across the state,” said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.  “These rehabilitation, construction, and safety projects will enhance these airports as community assets that support jobs and economic development.”

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

• Magee Municipal Airport, City of Magee - $1,045,000 to rehabilitate 3,500 feet of the runway
• Columbia-Marion County Airport, Columbia and Marion County - $600,000 to reconstruct 3000 feet of taxiway
• New Albany-Union County Airport, City of New Albany - $478,080 to rehabilitate  7,800 feet of runway lighting 
• Cleveland Municipal Airport, City of Cleveland - $477,628 to expand the apron to 18,900 square yards
• Philadelphia Municipal Airport, City of Philadelphia - $403,583 to install a 15,000-foot perimeter wildlife fence
• Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, City of Gulfport - $319,500 to update the airport master plan study
• Greenwood-Leflore Airport, City of Greenwood - $250,000 to rehabilitate 10,000 square yards of the apron
• Tunica Municipal Airport, City of Tunica - $169,740 to support acquisition of land for approaches           
• Belzoni Municipal Airport, City of Belzoni - $150,000 to rehabilitate 1,850 feet of taxiway and 3,000 feet of runway  
• Yazoo County Airport, City of Yazoo City - $150,000 to construct 6,000 square yards of apron
• Thigpen Field Airport, City of Bay Springs - $149,877 to rehabilitate 3,000 feet of runway
• Trent Lott International Airport, City of Pascagoula - $138,308 to rehabilitate 6,500 feet of runway           
• Vicksburg Municipal Airport, City of Vicksburg - $99,558 to expand the apron to 4,350 square yards
• Booneville/Baldwyn Airport, City of Booneville - $90,900 to rehabilitate 5,000 feet of the runway and taxiway and 3,000 square yards of the apron 
• Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport, City of Holly Springs - $87,735 to install a new wind cone
• Okolona Municipal-Richard Stovall Field Airport, City of Okolona - $82,800 to improve airport drainage 
• Poplarville-Pearl River County Airport, City of Poplarville - $69,750 to improve the airport access road and improve drainage 
• Monroe County Airport, City of Aberdeen - $51,659 to expand the apron