Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) applauded the recent announcement of funds to local and regional airports in Middle and Southwest Georgia made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Congressman Bishop, a strong advocate for the historic investment in America’s infrastructure, voted to pass the bill last month and it was subsequently signed into law by President Biden on November 15th.
“Today, we are seeing how federal legislation can make a difference in communities across our country and across Middle and Southwest Georgia. Our regional airports and local airfields are gateways to the communities they serve, play a crucial role in their economies, and improve access to vital services,” said Congressman Bishop. “Making robust investments in our nation’s infrastructure sets us up for success in the decades to come. We delivered the bipartisan infrastructure bill through Congress last month and today we are seeing the fruits of our labor come home to Georgia.”
Altogether, 14 airports throughout Georgia’s Second Congressional District received $4,764,680 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These included airports in Albany, Americus, Bainbridge, Blakely, Butler, Cairo, Camilla, Columbus, Cordele, Dawson, Donalsonville, Macon (Middle Georgia Regional and Macon Downtown airports), and Montezuma.
“We appreciate the 1.1 million dollars awarded to the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport. The funds will improve infrastructure to make the airport a more safe and reliable source of transportation,” said Albany City Manager Steven Carter. “The award also allows us to move long-range projects to the forefront to address immediate needs such as ramp and taxiway improvements. Furthermore, the SWGA Regional Airport is a vital economic driver to the community and the southwest Georgia region. This award will assist us with being competitive in attracting the business aviation community to the area.”
“Our airport is a growing economic engine for the entire region, and these funds will help us continue to support current tenants and attract new ones,” said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester M. Miller.
“The Columbus Airport will receive 1.3 million dollars from the latest Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL),” said Columbus Airport Director Amber Clark. “These funds will allow the airport to make improvements on the airfield, and purchase capital equipment and prepare the airport for continued growth”
“The Jimmy Carter Regional Airport plays a huge role in the economic vitality of Americus and Sumter County, as well as, other surrounding counties,” said Americus Mayor Barry Blount. “I’m positive that the Americus-Sumter Airport Authority will be able to provide additional enhancements and improvements to our airport, which in turn, will pay dividends in our economic development efforts. We are very appreciative of this funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
“Our airport is a gateway to the City of Cairo and plays an important role in our local economy. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will go a long way to help make improvements that can expand the potential for economic development in our community,” said Chris Addleton, Cairo City Manager and Airport Administrator. “We are certainly grateful to Congressman Bishop for looking after us and ensuring that we get these funds.”
“Local airports are just like the roads and highways that connect communities. Our airport is instrumental in supporting and growing local businesses as well as providing jobs.” said Camilla City Manager Steve Sykes. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will make a huge difference. Capital improvements — from hangers to terminals — will increase economic opportunities for Camilla and Mitchell County.”
“We are very excited to receive Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for the Crisp County Airport. The Crisp County Airport is vital to economic growth in several south Georgia counties,” said Crisp County Administrator Clark Harrell. “On behalf of the Crisp County Board of Commissioners, I would like to thank Congressman Bishop for his dedication, leadership and hard work on the national level to keep funding flowing to our local community.”
“Airports like ours allow the community to move at the speed of commerce. They open the door to people visiting us, support local business, and attract large companies beyond our county and state. Infrastructure projects often are front-loaded expenses and raising the capital needed can be a challenge for smaller communities. But even small improvements to facilities can mean a big difference to our community,” said Dawson-Terrell County Airport Authority Chair Marl Halbrook. “These Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds coming to Dawson are great news right before the holidays and will help strengthen our area’s economy in the years ahead.”
“Our airport has a huge impact on Decatur County and the surrounding area’s economy. It provides access to companies looking to call our community home and create jobs. It also welcomes thousands of people each year for seasonal events and those visitors bolster our local businesses,” said Decatur County Commission Chair Pete Stephens. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be a tremendous help as we continue to improve our airport, creating new opportunities for the people that live and work here.”
“Our airport welcomes people to Seminole County, helps create new business opportunities, and is home to aircraft vital to the tri-state area’s farming communities. Taken together, it creates several dozen jobs and has over a $5 million impact on the region’s economy,” said Donalsonville-Seminole County Airport Commission Chairman, Jerry Isler. “The funds coming to us through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help improve facilities and support the airport’s crucial role in our community.”
“Our airport gets a great deal of use and can be the first impression people have when visiting Early County. The funds available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are coming at the right time and can help in many ways, such as expanding our facilities to host more of our residents’ aircrafts. We look forward to improving our facilities to better serve our county and the surrounding area,” said Early County Commission Chairman Hank Jester.
“This is great news for Montezuma and Macon County. The Dr. C. P. Savage Sr. Airport has been making capital improvements to the airfield, terminal, hangers, and taxiway. The newly announced funds made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us continue to expand our facilities,” said Montezuma Mayor Larry Smith. “The airport is part of our county's economic engine. As we improve and expand our airport, it attracts new businesses and good paying jobs to our community.”
Airports receiving awards will receive a similar tranche of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law each year for the next five years, as part of a program for airport development. The amount could vary from year to year, as the funding reflects annual enplanement totals.
In addition to these guaranteed funds, these airports can compete with other airports across the country for grants from an additional $5 billion nationally for terminal and landside improvements.
Original source can be found here.
