Thursday, August 24, 2017

Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (KITH) receives extra $289,000 federal grant to pay for upgrades



Representative Tom Reed has issued a press release today announcing that the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport will receive $289,216 for improvements to the facility, coming from the US Department of Transportation. 

According to the release, the money is to "rehabilitate the airport apron where aircraft are parked, fueled and boarded. It will also cover installation of new apron flood lighting and perimeter fencing."

"Airports are a vital part of our national transportation infrastructure as well as an important driver in our regional economy," Reed was quoted as saying in the release. "It is important that they have the funds necessary to operate in a safe and efficient manner, and this grant will help Ithaca Tompkins Regional to continue to do that."

Airport manager Mike Hall said the money is "supplementary federal funding," through the Airport Improvement Program. It applies to work that was already completed last year, and that this additional funding is meant to cover complications the airport ran into during the completion of said updates which incurred further expenses than was initially budgeted. 

This is the second sizable grant the airport has received this year, following February's announcement of a $250,000 state grant for marketing purposes. The airport, which served 200,000 people in 2016 while hosting three airlines, was also under consideration for $40 million in state funding which would possibly reshape the waterfront and allow the airport to take steps toward becoming serving internationally. Hall said they have continued to their application, but a final decision on that grant has not yet been made public. 

Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.ithaca.com

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