The Shadow
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $18,761,701 in federal grant funding for eight local and regional airports across Virginia to upgrade infrastructure, improve safety, and expand capacity. This funding comes from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) for Fiscal Year 2026, which the senators have supported robust funding for.
“Virginia’s airports play a critical role in connecting communities and supporting local economies,” said the senators. “We’re proud to deliver nearly $19 million in federal funding to help airports across the Commonwealth modernize aging infrastructure, make necessary safety improvements, and better serve travelers.”
The nine grant awards include:
- $8,000,000 for Lynchburg Regional Airport to expand the existing terminal, including the TSA exit lane, to accommodate more passengers.
- $4,984,707 for Washington Manassas Airport to revitalize an existing runway and runway lighting and construct a runway safety area, enhancing safety and preserving pavement integrity.
- $3,311,779 for Warrenton-Fauquier Airport to complete the rehabilitation of an existing taxiway and taxiway lighting, extending its useful life.
- $1,330,000 for Front Royal-Warren County Airport to complete the rehabilitation of an existing runway, preserving its structural integrity, reducing the risk of foreign object debris, and extending its useful life.
- $438,620 for Culpeper Regional Airport to carry out the design of a project that will reconstruct the aging runway and its lighting, update the airport’s Exhibit A Airport Property Map, and support the removal of obstructive vehicular traffic. These planned improvements will enhance safety, bring the airport into compliance with current standards, and extend the useful life of critical infrastructure.
- $336,300 for New Kent County Airport to carry out the design phase of a project to remove obstructions and bring the airport into compliance with current standards.
- $165,000 for Ingalls Field Airport to complete the design phase of a runway rehabilitation project that will preserve structural integrity, reduce the risk of foreign object debris, and extend the runway’s useful life.
- $114,713 for Hanover County Municipal Airport to rehabilitate an existing taxiway, prepare required environmental documentation, remove obstructions, and extend an existing taxiway to improve safety and bring the airport into conformity with current standards.
- $80,582 for Hanover County Municipal Airport to carry out the design phase of a project that will rehabilitate apron pavement, preserving its structural integrity and reducing the risk of foreign object debris.
Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported efforts to modernize Virginia’s airports. In July, the senators announced nearly $6 million to modernize nine Virginia airports and more than $32 million to upgrade eight Virginia airports. In May, they celebrated nearly $100 million for local and regional airports across the Commonwealth. Many of these grants were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation the senators helped pass that has secured billions in federal funding for airport infrastructure since 2021.
