Airport Improvement Program, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Programs, and COVID-19 Airports Programs

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has several strategic goals: Safety, People, Global Leadership, and Operational excellence. The FAA Office of Airports (ARP) grant programs described in this listing contribute to these goals, as outlined in the FAA Annual Summary of Performance and Financial Information.

The ARP mission is planning and developing a safe and efficient national airports system to satisfy the needs of the aviation interests of the U.S., with considerations for economics, environmental issues, local proprietary rights, and safeguarding the public investment. As an important component of that mission, ARP provides financial assistance to airports nationwide through grants. These grants contribute to the objective of maintaining and optimizing airport and runway safety, capacity, efficiency, financial responsibility, and environmental sustainability. The program objective of this listing is to assist sponsors, owners, or operators of public-use airports in the development of a nationwide system of airports adequate to meet the needs of civil aeronautics.

The purpose of the various laws applicable to this program includes the investment in transportation, environmental protection, and airport infrastructure that will support long-term economic benefits. Grants to airports also support the objectives of several Executive Orders, including Executive Order 14005 – “Ensuring the Future is Made in all of America by All of America’s Workers”(as listed in the Regulations and Guidance Section). Performance measurement and reporting. An example of performance measurement: In the mission area of safety, the FAA Business Plan has several Initiatives, including the Initiative on Runway Pavement Maintenance. This initiative ensures that airport infrastructure is kept in a safe and serviceable condition through capital improvements and airport inspections. The related activity is to ensure runway pavement is kept in a safe and serviceable condition by maintaining eligible runway pavement in Excellent, Good, or Fair condition. The performance measure, as a specific target metric, is ensuring that this condition is met (based on visual inspections) for 93 percent of the paved runways in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). The financial assistance provided through these federal grants contribute to the capital improvements mentioned above. For performance reporting, all grants are required to submit performance reports (Annually for non-construction grants: FAA Form 5100-140 Performance Report, and quarterly for construction grants: FAA Form 5370-1 Construction Progress and Inspection Report). These reports include reporting on project milestone goals as well as lab and field testing for construction projects. With a standard period of performance of 4 years, projects must be completed within that timeframe. Projects are monitored throughout the period of performance and grant disbursements are regularly tracked. The program office monitors period of performance expirations and grant closeout in order to confirm successful project completion. A key performance indicator for the program in this listing is number of grant projects successfully completed and closed out. This measurement of grant funding disbursement as well as progress of projects towards completion aligns with and is reported on in the FAA’s Annual Performance and Accountability Report.

States, counties, municipalities, U.S. Territories and possessions, and other public agencies including an Indian tribe or pueblo, the Republics of the Marshall Islands and Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia are eligible for airport development grants if the airport on which the development is required is listed in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Certain local government organizations may be eligible for grants to implement noise planning and compatibility projects. Private owners of public-use reliever airports or airports having at least 2,500 passengers boarding annually and receiving scheduled passenger aircraft service may also be eligible. CARES and ARPA state that only sponsors of airports in categories defined in 49 U.S.C. 47102 are eligible. Airports in U.S. territories (American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam) are included in the NPIAS and are eligible. Airports in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Midway Island are not included in the NPIAS. While these airport sponsors may be eligible for some AIP discretionary funding, they are not eligible under CARES, and ARPA. Due to some airports receiving four times their annual operating expenses in relief under the CARES Act based on formula calculations, these same airports were not granted funding under ARPA. For IIJA funded programs eligible airport sponsors are those normally eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) discretionary grants as defined in 49 U.S.C. §47115. This includes a public agency, private entity, state agency, Indian Tribe or Pueblo owning a public-use NPIAS airport, and outside of NPIAS: the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Secretary of the Interior for Midway Island Airport.

Upon program approval for development projects, applicant submits project application, SF 424, Part I (facesheet) and remaining parts of FAA Form 5100-100 to the appropriate FAA field office. Master planning, noise compatibility, and system planning grant applications are submitted to the FAA field offices and, upon approval, grant offers are made. Either the District or Regional Office prepares the agency's Grant Offer, FAA Form 5100-37, for planning and development projects for execution by the grant applicant.

From 90 to 120 days. If the project is challenged on environmental grounds, approval may take longer.