Infrastructure Act invests $72 million for Arizona airports

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Airplane aviation

$72 million in this fiscal year alone will go to Arizona airports under the recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Rep. Greg Stanton announced the total, which includes $43 million for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and $4.5 million for Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. State airports are expected to receive $2.9 billion in federal funds. The new infrastructure law invests $25 billion over the next five years in airports across the country through three programs.

“Our airports are essential to supporting Arizona’s trade and tourism-focused economies,” said Stanton, Arizona’s lone member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This investment is critical to make sure we can expand capacity and modernize aging infrastructure.”

According to Stanton’s press release, Sky Harbor served a record 46.2 million passengers—a 3 percent increase compared to the previous year. Mesa Gateway Airport also saw a record-setting year for passengers, serving nearly 1.8 million people.

The funds are from the $15 billion provided in formula grants for “airside” maintenance and developments, including runways, gates, and taxiways. Another $5 billion will also be provided to the FAA for air traffic control facility improvements. Another $5 billion will be in a new discretionary grant program for terminal development and improvement.