FAA Says Happy Fourth of July With $1.776B in Airport Grants

Fresh funding will support a range of projects, from runway rehabilitations to safety upgrades.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, July 02, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

A Boeing 737 operated by Southwest Airlines taxis at Denver International Airport (KDEN), which on Thursday was awarded $88.8 million for pavement projects. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is awarding $1.776 billion in grants to airports in 46 states for various upgrades, including runway rehabilitation and safety improvements, as part of America's 250th birthday celebration.
This funding is part of a larger federal investment, including over $1 billion in FY26 Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants and allocations from the $14.5 billion Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program, aimed at modernizing airport infrastructure.
Beyond airport facilities, the FAA is also investing over $800 million to replace air traffic control (ATC) facilities and is overseeing a $12.5 billion effort to modernize ATC technology.

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The FAA is celebrating America’s 250th birthday and wishing airports in 46 states a happy Fourth of July by awarding $1.776 billion in grants that will support a range of upgrades, including runway rehabilitations and safety upgrades.

As of Thursday, the regulator has awarded more than $1 billion in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants in fiscal year 2026 (FY26). Earlier this year, it released the fifth and final installment of the $14.5 billion Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program established in 2022 by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, allocating $2.89 billion for FY26.