Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that $3,144,600 in federal funding was awarded to the Albany County Airport Authority through the Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Specifically this federal grant will be used to replace a portion of the existing glycol collection, treatment and disposal system at Albany International Airport. A new sealed storage tank with added capacity to collect and treat deicing material will replace the existing storage lagoon, which has reached the end of its useful life. The storage tank will reduce storm water treatment and eliminate exposure to the surrounding areas.
“This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Albany International can continue to safely serve residents and all visitors to the Capital Region for years to come,” said Senator Schumer. “Maintaining safety of the glycol bio-treatment facility is a sure sign that Albany International will remain a good neighbor to travelers as well as to the Capital Region community.”
“This is a smart investment for Albany International Airport,” Senator Gillibrand said. “A smarter de-icing system can help the airport cut costs, while keeping more flights on time even under the harshest winter conditions to keep travelers and businesses in Capital Region on the move year round.”
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) through the 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 that are included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). The NPIAS, which is prepared and published every 2 years, identifies public-use airports that are important to public transportation and contribute to the needs of civil aviation, national defense, and the Postal service.
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) was established by the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982. Since then, the AIP has been amended several times, most recently with the passage of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. 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.