U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that $40 million dollars will flow into airports within the Commonwealth. These funds were made available through the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed last month, which was a top priority of the Kentucky Chamber.
The funding is being distributed by the Federal Aviation Administration, with annual funds going to 51 airports throughout the next five years. Senator McConnell said, “I supported the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act earlier this year because of programs like this, which will help overhaul Kentucky’s transportation systems and revive our decaying roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, and river ports. This is just the kind of program Kentucky needs to compete in the 21st-century global economy.”
Kentucky Chamber CEO Ashli echoed Senator McConnell’s comments. “The Chamber has been a longtime advocate for increased funding for transportation. These funds were crucially needed for our area. Just last year, the state was given a C- grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Thank you, Senator McConnell, for supporting this important piece of legislation,” she said.
A majority of the funds will be allocated to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, and Blue Grass Airport.
“I am grateful for the hard work of Leader McConnell and many in Washington over these last several months to get the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act across the finish line. CVG will put more than $13 million per year to good use to lead the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati region’s economy out of the pandemic, focusing on capital investments that will support good-paying jobs and improved passenger services,” said Candace McGraw, CEO of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
“We appreciate the support of Senator McConnell for the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport,” said Dan Mann, Executive Director of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority. “This funding will go a long way in supporting the continued improvements at SDF including our $400 million terminal modernization program and ongoing sustainability initiatives such as our geothermal project to reduce our carbon footprint. These improvements allow us to provide a better, more accessible experience for the traveling public and support the needs of our airline partners while maintaining SDF as a crucial link in the nation’s aerospace system.”
“I want to thank Senator McConnell once again for his continued support of Blue Grass Airport. These past five years, with Senator McConnell’s assistance, we have made significant investments in the airfield to improve safety and efficiency for the passenger airlines, as well as for our local corporate and private aircraft operators. In the coming years, these additional grant dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure bill will now allow us to make improvements to the passenger terminal building so that we can provide a modern and comfortable traveling experience for central Kentuckians,” said Eric Frankl, Executive Director of Blue Grass Airport.
There will be more announcements to come on additional funding that the Commonwealth will receive from the federal infrastructure bill.
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