SCHUMER LAUNCHES PUSH TO SEND RECENTLY INCREASED AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FUNDS TO NIAGARA FALLS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT; FUNDS WILL IMPROVE THE AIRFIELD & BENEFIT NEW TANKER MISSION AT NFARS, WHICH USES NFIA RUNWAYS

Department Of Transportation Funding Through The Airport Improvement Program Allows Airports To Improve Infrastructure; Niagara Falls Airport Proposes Projects To Receive Funding

After Securing $1 Billion Increase To Airport Improvement Program In Bipartisan Budget Negotiations, Schumer Launches Major Push To Send Newfound Funds To Niagara Falls International Airport; Senator Says The Projects Will Create A Safer Airfield for both Commercial and Military Planes, Which Will Support Both the Air Reserve Station and Niagara Falls Airport 

Schumer To FAA: Keep Niagara Falls Airport Ready For Take Off   

Today U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced a major push to secure Airport Improvement Funds to benefit The Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) and Niagara Falls Airport. Earlier this year, the senator announced a major victory for Upstate New York with the passage of the federal spending bill, in which the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) received a $1 billion increase for a total of $4.35 billion. The additional $1 billion funds is for critical airport improvement projects, including security, capacity, and environmental concerns. Schumer said some of this funding should go to the Niagara Falls International Airport, which seeks funds to improve its airfield operations, including improvements to runways, taxiways, and signage. These airside improvements will bring airfield signage systems in line with updated FAA guidelines, provide separated, safer taxiways for commercial air traffic, and allow for safer aircraft movements, especially for new tankers stationed at NFARS, which use the NFIA runway.

“These improvement projects at Niagara Falls International Airport are essential for the safety of air travelers and smooth functioning of the regional economy – and they support the vital, new tanker mission at nearby Niagara Falls Reserve Station, which is why I am pushing to secure newly available federal grants to make it happen. I am proud of the role I played in securing $4.35 billion for the Airport Improvement Program, a $1 billion increase from F17, and I am calling for some of this vital funding to be brought to New York State for projects like this. Niagara Falls International Airport sees hundreds of thousands of tourists and business travelers each year– and the airport supports the new tanker mission at NFARS – so it is a no-brainer to target federal investment to improve the infrastructure of this vital airfield,” said Senator Schumer.

The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) is administered by DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Airport Improvement Program provides grants to public agencies for the planning and development of public-use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). 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.

Schumer’s push comes on the heels of his recent visit to NFARS, where Schumer called for greater investment in the base. Specifically, Schumer announced a major push to secure nearly $50 million worth of long-overdue upgrades for NFARS. During the visit, Schumer highlighted specific projects that are desperately needed, including upgrades to the main security gate, expansion of the existing runway to better accommodate the base’s new KC-135 mission, and create new state-of-the-art facilities for civil engineering and the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron. 

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