Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Paul Tonko today announced that Schenectady County Airport will receive $181,710 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The federal funding will be used to design the rehabilitation of the runway. Once rehabilitated, this project would ensure safer airfield operations at the airport by improving the structural integrity of the pavement and removing foreign object debris from the runway.
“Making sure our runways are clear for takeoff is crucial and necessary for the safety of New York travelers,” said Senator Schumer. “We should always strive to achieve the highest standards of aviation safety, and this funding will support that goal by rehabilitating the Schenectady County Airport runway and ensuring that the pavement’s structural integrity is clear for landing.”
“Investing in key infrastructure helps create lasting sustainability in our communities,” Senator Gillibrand said. “The Schenectady County Airport will use this important investment to design the rehabilitation of one of the airport’s most critical structures, its runway. Once implemented, this project would help ensure safer airport operations for the thousands of passengers that travel through the airport each year.”
“Airports of all sizes in the Capital Region are key components of our infrastructure and huge drivers of our economy at a community level,” Congressman Tonko said. “By adding to the consumer base for local businesses and attracting companies to the areas, facilities like Schenectady County make surrounding towns and cities a draw for business and leisure travelers alike. To help our airports maintain and grow these successes, ensuring passenger safety is job one. I am proud to work with Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to ensure Congress continues to support key infrastructure projects like this in New York.”
“Thank you Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congressman Tonko for this significant investment and continued support of Schenectady County, especially our County Airport,” Schenectady County Legislature Chairman Anthony Jasenski said. “This grant will allow us to plan and design significant upgrades to this runway, and when combined with other investments in and around the airport will continue the momentum created by our unified economic development team within the Airport Business and Technology Park and up and down Route 50.”
The Schenectady County airport is county-owned and was founded in 1927. It is home to the Stratton Air National Guard Base, an Armed Forces Reserve Center, a flight school for pilots, as well as the Schenectady County Community College air traffic control program. The federal funding for the Schenectady County Airport will be used to design the rehabilitation of the runway. Rehabilitating the airport’s runway would help maintain structural integrity of the pavement and would minimize foreign object debris. These enhancements will help ensure better, safer airport operations.
This funding for Schenectady County Airport is part of the Airport Improvement Program and 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.