SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, RYAN ANNOUNCE WHOPPING $24+ MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO HELP STEWART INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPAIR RUNWAY & UPGRADE INFRASTRUCTURE THANKS TO BOOSTED FUNDING THEY SECURED IN FAA REAUTHORIZATION
Schumer: Fed $$ Will Help Much Needed Upgrades Take Off At Stewart International Airport In Orange County
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Pat Ryan announced $24,236,158 in federal funding for Orange County’s Stewart International Airport. This critical federal funding will allow Stewart to repair cracks in the runway pavement, which is important for preventing deterioration and maintaining safety .
“This $24+ million federal grant will literally pave the way for improved safety at Stewart International Airport, helping efforts to repair cracks in thousands of feet of runway pavement reach new heights. This is especially timely with winter months approaching,” said Senator Schumer. “Aviation safety has been front of mind for millions of Americans, which is why I fought hard earlier this year to boost funding for the Airport Improvement Program. Ensuring that Hudson Valley’s airports like Stewart have the resources they need to maintain the highest safety standards is crucial to safe travel for residents and visitors and attracting business. I’ll never stop fighting to make sure that our airports are as safe as possible.”
“Stewart International Airport serves tens of thousands of passengers every year, and it is vital that its runways remain strong and resilient in the winter months,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This monumental $24 million in federal funding will bring critical repairs to the runway pavement at Stewart International Airport so passengers traveling in and out of the Hudson Valley can take off and land safely. I’m proud to have worked to secure this funding and will continue fighting to bring vital modernization and improvement efforts to airports across New York State.”
“Earlier this summer, I brought Department of Transportation leadership to Stewart to show them how federal infrastructure funding is opening the floodgates to private investments in the airport, and supercharging the entire region’s economy. This historic funding is another gigantic step forward,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Alongside Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, I’m proud to have secured more than $24 million to keep Stewart a hub for growth and at the forefront of airport safety. I’ll keep working every day to make transportation safer for Hudson Valley families and drive the economic investments to help our airports thrive.”
“We are grateful for this federal grant that acknowledges the hard work and investment from the Port Authority to maintain and enhance operations at New York Stewart. We thank the entire delegation, particularly Sen. Chuck Schumer for his support and dedication to ensure that the airport continues to be a transportation facility vital to this region,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The Port Authority looks forward to continuing to work with our federal partners to fully realize the potential of New York Stewart as we make strategic investments that attract additional carriers and offer new destinations to travelers across the region.”
The grant is for a rehabilitation project that will restore two airport runways to a state of good repair and install new environmentally friendly LED lights into the runway pavement, ensuring safe aircraft operations at the airport.
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP), through the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration, provides grants to public agencies - and, in some cases, to private owners and entities - for the planning and development of public-use airports. Funds obligated for the AIP are drawn from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, which is supported by user fees, fuel taxes, and other similar revenue sources.
The senators have delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to airports across Upstate NY through this program, and Schumer fought to boost funding for the AIP in this year’s FAA reauthorization bill in order to revitalize airports and enhance airfield safety at airports. The AIP is one of the most widely used federal grants by Upstate NY airports in order to make critical modernization and safety upgrades.
Schumer, Gillibrand and Ryan have a long history of delivering funding to help improve Stewart International Airport. The lawmakers secured $12,499,175 over the next five years for Stewart International Airport through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs law.
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