The Federal Aviation Administration is offering grant funding to airports across the state to help with COVID-related expenses.
This applies to commercial airports and smaller general aviation facilities. Renee Riani is the manager of DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport. She said funding last year from the CARES Act addressed areas such as personnel costs. But the roughly $13,000 available this year will help with snow equipment.
“So the big trucks that we have, that we’re able to put plow blades onto, or a snow thrower -- kind of a big snow blower machine, that allow us to keep the airport open as much as possible when we have these significant snow events.”
Zack Oakley is deputy director of operations at Chicago Rockford International Airport. He said earlier this year, FAA funds also helped prepare their winter weather operations.
“I think we awarded that in June, and then we actually have started seeing pieces of equipment arrive here over the last couple months that have been exceptionally helpful over this last month and a half. Winter actually showed up and it’s nice to have that new equipment to help us get through it.”
In total, about $2 billion is available to more than 3,000 airports across the country from the FAA.