Pittsburgh International Airport gets $3M in federal funding for runway rehab

Pittsburgh International Airport will receive more than $3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve taxiways and buy new snow removal equipment, federal officials announced Tuesday.

The grant is part of more than $273 million awarded to 184 airports across the country for safety and infrastructure improvements by the Federal Aviation Administration.

“This $273 million federal investment in our nation’s airports will strengthen safety, improve travel, generate jobs and benefit local communities,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in a statement.

“The safety of our nation’s airports is of paramount importance to the FAA,” said FAA Administrator Stephen M. Dickson. “These grants will allow these necessary projects to continue.”

Bob Kerlik, a spokesman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, said the authority is grateful for the grant.

“These grants are important and will be used to replace aging and obsolete snow removal equipment as well as taxiway pavement rehabilitation,” he said. “Enhanced safety and equipment upgrades are a benefit for airport operations and the flying public.”

The airport in April received $36 million in emergency money through the federal CARES Act, which provided relief to states and institutions hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The act set aside $10 billion for airports.

The Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin received $157,000 from the CARES Act funding, and Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe received about $2.4 million.