U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) has announced the provision of $511,427 in Airport Infrastructure Grants from the Federal Aviation Administration for five rural West Virginia airports.
The funding will help small county airports in Upshur, Braxton, Grant, Mercer, and Logan counties meet the needs of the state's growing population.
“The funding announced today from the FAA will help develop local airports in West Virginia so that they can meet the needs of customers, enhance safety, and build on the progress we have already made as our state continues to grow," Capito said.
This funding was made available through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and appropriated in Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. Capito is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee,
“Every day I am working to improve West Virginia’s infrastructure, including the modernization of our airports,” Capito said. “As I helped negotiate and craft the bipartisan infrastructure law, support for our airports was a major priority, and I’m pleased to see that funding continues to be directed to West Virginia.”
More West Virginians are relying on small airports for business travel, according to West Virginia Explorer publisher David Sibray.
"Across the state, West Virginia is welcoming more remote-work residents who can rely on small rural airports for access to nearby cities," Sibray said. "Senator Capito's work here is very important for rural economic development."
Five small West Virginia Airports to receive funding
- $197,779 for the Upshur County Regional Airport (Buckhannon, West Virginia) to install an airport beacon and perimeter fencing.
- $107,681 for the Braxton County Airport (Sutton, West Virginia) to install an airport beacon.
- $79,219 for the Grant County Airport (Petersburg, West Virginia) to install weather reporting equipment.
- $69,161 for the Mercer County Airport (Bluefield, West Virginia) to conduct an airport-related environmental assessment.
- $57,587 for the Logan County Airport (Logan, West Virginia) to rehabilitate the taxi lane at the airport.
