It is no secret that the infrastructure of U.S. airports is aging and in need of significant investment. In November 2021, Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that provides approximately $25 billion for a long-term investment in America’s transportation network. With business travelers taking more than 144 million flights each year, air travel is a critical component of business travel in the U.S.

The surge in post-pandemic travel demand intensifies the need to update facilities and make them more efficient and sustainable. Travelers need to get in and out of airports efficiently, including improved access for travelers with disabilities, multi-modal transportation, and more efficient baggage and security systems. Air traffic control towers need upgrades to ensure safe operations and improvements to airport terminal sustainability are necessary.

Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA said, “Business travel is on pace for continued recovery, but for the industry and overall economy to truly take off and grow sustainably, we need air travel systems that are optimized to meet modern needs. These grants provide for expanded capabilities to meet the sustainability, accessibility, and improved passenger experience that is required by today’s business travel community and travelers overall.” 

How the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funds Are Used

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides grants in three categories.

• Airport Terminals – $5 billion allocated over 5 years to fund competitive grants for funding safe, sustainable, and accessible airport terminals, on-airport rail access projects, and airport-owned airport traffic control towers.
• Airport Infrastructure – $15 billion allocated over 5 years for investment in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections, and roadway projects. 
• Air Traffic Facilities & Equipment – $5 billion to reduce our backlog of needed maintenance, updates, upgrades, and replacement of critical buildings and equipment.

Here are the funding amounts for the first two years of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and how those funds will be invested at the top ten domestic airports used by Covington’s corporate accounts.

Richmond International Airport, Virginia (RIC): $4,655,000 – The airport will renovate the facility to meet current federal standards for international passenger processing ad meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Updates to the facility will improve energy efficiency and increase passenger capacity. 21 passenger loading bridges will be replaced.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW): $70,000,000 – This award funds the replacement of aging infrastructure with modern systems, including the replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, installation of dimmable smart glass in terminal windows, and eco-friendly roof replacement. The installation of the airport’s Zero Carbon Electric Central Utility Plant (eCUP), will position the airport to achieve its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia (IAD): $69,600,00 – Construction on a new 14-gate concourse will replace the existing temporary concourse constructed in 1999. The new two-tier concourse will increase passenger access, improve accessibility for individuals with access and functional needs and improve energy efficiency. This project replaces existing ground loading positions with 14 loading bridges on the Tier-2 Concourse. The project connects directly to the Aerotrain and indirectly to the public Metrorail.

Orlando International Airport (MCO):  $119,000,000 – The South Terminal C expansion includes the addition of 4 gates with 8 loading bridges capable of serving either 4 wide-boy or 8 narrow-body aircraft. A portion of the Terminal C multi-modal connector pedestrian bridge construction is also funded. The project increases passenger capacity, improves Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant facilities, and achieves LEED certification.

Denver International Airport (DEN): $82,000,000 – This project includes improvements to the terminal facility including replacing the baggage handling system The new system will improve energy efficiency and will accommodate the increased capacity of 100 million annual passengers.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia (ATL): $40,000,000 – This project will update and modernize the 40-year-old Concourse D. The rehabilitation project also includes enlarging hold rooms, restrooms, and the central corridor. These updates will increase passenger capacity, improve Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance for individuals with access and functional needs, and achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Illinois (ORD): $50,000,000 – This award helps fund a project to rehabilitate and expand passenger access for the 60-year-old Terminal 3. This includes a reconfigured Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint, improvements to the central passenger corridor, new Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliant and family restrooms, and updates to the passenger baggage system to help get travelers in and out of O’Hare more quickly.

Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas (LAS): $31,000,000 – This grant funds the upgrade of baggage handling systems in two terminals to enhance capacity, security, reliability, and energy efficiency.

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (IAH): $49,600,000 – This project improves energy efficiencies, ticketing, security screening checkpoints, baggage systems, gates, and modernizes curbside access and loading bridges. The grant also funds the replacement or rehabilitation of aged public restrooms, terminal entrance vestibules, lighting systems, escalators elevators, moving sidewalks, and HVAC systems.

San Diego International Airport, California (SAN): $44,000,000 – The existing Terminal 1 facility will be demolished and construction on a new terminal facility with 19 gates will begin. In addition to the new terminal facility, additional energy efficiency improvements will be made to the airport. This grant also funds a portion of the construction of a new terminal building with the addition of 30 gates.

Other airports that will build or expand terminal facilities include Des Moines International Airport (DSM) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

Airports that will use grants to improve security screening areas include Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (HHH), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

More reliable and faster baggage systems will be coming to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport, Oklahoma (LAW), Key West International Airport (EYW), and Bradley International Airport, Connecticut (BDL).

Roadway improvements and increasing access to other modes of transportation will upgrade Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), and Nashville International Airport (BNA).  

Air traffic control towers will be refurbished at six airports, including Chennault International Airport, Louisiana (CWF), and Albany International Airport (ALB).

Many grants contain an element that will increase terminal sustainability. Among them are Portland International Airport, Oregon (PDX), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and Syracuse Regional Airport (SYR).

To find out what funding other airports received and how they will use it, view this data visualization.

This historic investment in our nation’s airports will help meet the growing demand for air travel and improve the passenger experience.