WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Garret Graves, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, issued the following statement after an additional $51,210,230 federal funding was recently awarded to Louisiana airports by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – of which more than 55%, or $28 million, is dedicated to airports represented by Graves.
Locally, the Harry Williams Memorial Airport in Patterson will receive $3,289,327 to complete construction on a runway rehabilitation project for the airport. The FAA provided an additional $2.8 million to the project to ensure completion of the effort.
Graves said, “Today’s announcement builds on the historic achievements of the recent FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, and I’m pleased to see these federal dollars allocated to strengthen the diverse needs of our state’s airports,” said Graves. “The safety and resilience of Louisiana airports is critical to passenger safety, economic development, business growth, and builds on the billions in federal funding we’ve secured in infrastructure investments. As I keep saying, we’re running through the tape, and we won’t complete this term without exhausting all our energy on securing wins for our great state.”
Major funding awards also include:
- Baton Rouge Metro Airport (BTR): $13,145,438 to fully fund Phase Two of Taxiway L extension, ensuring the highest level of aviation safety. The FAA provided an additional $7.4 million above their expected contribution to support the project.
- Houma-Terrebonne Airport (HUM): $1,300,000 to fund the design and construction of a new 30,000-gallon fuel tank to better supply fuel the airport’s diverse users.
Additional awards include:
- $600,000 to the Port of South Louisiana Executive Airport (APS) to install additional safety fencing.
- $2,549,904 to the New Orleans Airport (MSY) to design improvements to a runway.