FAA awards $21M to support Virginia airport projects

The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $21 million in federal funding to support eight airport infrastructure projects in Virginia, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine announced Tuesday.

Leading the list is $18.4 million for Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington County. The funding, allocated to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, will go toward reconstructing existing paved runways that have reached the end of their useful lives, and rehabilitating runway lighting. A timeline and scope of the project was not provided, and the authority did not immediately return requests for comment.

Reagan National has been undergoing phased runway rehabilitation work since 2023.

The federal funding was awarded through the FAA‘s Airport Improvement Program (AIP), which provides grants to public agencies, private owners or entities for the planning and development of public-use airports.

“Travelers deserve the comfort of knowing they can move safely and efficiently through Virginia airports,” the Democratic senators said in a joint statement. “We’re proud to announce this funding to modernize and improve our airport infrastructure and passenger experience.”

The remaining grants include:

• $600,000 to rehabilitate existing taxiways, associated taxiway connectors and lighting systems at Stafford Regional Airport
• $465,500 for the Fauquier County for runway and lighting improvements at the Warrenton-Fauquier Airport
• $450,000 to the Winchester Regional Airport Authority to reconstruct the existing terminal apron pavement and construct a new terminal apron and parallel taxiway to bring the airport into conformity with current standards
• $439,850 to Danville to rehabilitate existing taxiway and runway lighting at Danville Regional Airport
• $300,000 for Louisa County to update the Louisa County Airport’s existing airport layout plan.
• $261,647 to the Tazewell County Airport Authority to support the construction of an aircraft storage hangar
• $109,962 for New Kent County for tree removal and purchasing an aviation easement to benefit the county’s airport.

Last year, Warner and Kaine announced almost $106 million in federal funding for airports across Virginia.