The Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, USVI. Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Thursday it will award an estimated $5.9 million to Virgin Islands’ two airports from funding made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The money can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects, said the FAA. This is the first of five annual rounds of funding Virgin Islands airports will receive.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has given us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build safer and more sustainable airports that connect individuals to jobs and communities to the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With this new funding, urban, regional and rural airports across the country now can get to work on projects that have waited for years, modernizing their infrastructure and building a better America.”
According to the release, Virgin Islands airports can submit projects they wish to use the funds on for FAA review in the coming weeks. The FAA said it encourages airports to prioritize projects that increase airport safety, equity and sustainability. The agency also plans to conduct outreach with the minority business community on these opportunities at airports across the nation.
The following commercial airports in Virgin Islands are estimated to receive funding during the first year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:
- Cyril E. King in St. Thomas: $3,882,616
- Henry E. Rohlsen in St. Croix: $2,101,062
For an interactive map and listing of funding for all Virgin Islands airports, visit https://www.faa.gov/bil/airport-infrastructure.
The money comes from the Airport Infrastructure Grant program, one of three new aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The law provides $15 billion over five years for this program. The FAA estimates the backlog of airport modernization and safety projects totals $43.6 billion.
