Frederick Airport gets federal money for sanitization, other costs

Dec. 8—Frederick Municipal Airport will receive $59,000 from the American Rescue Plan, Maryland congressional leaders announced recently.

The federal money can be used for costs of operations, personnel, cleaning, sanitization, janitorial services, debt service payments and to prevent the spread of pathogens amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding was announced last week by U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and U.S. Rep. David Trone.

"As the second busiest airport in Maryland, Frederick Municipal Airport will benefit a great deal from this new funding," Trone said in a statement. "In light of Omicron [variant] and other new variants, it's important for those traveling to practice safety and caution. This grant helps us do that by ensuring that FDK is equipped to handle new travel requirements and can operate smoothly."

Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor hailed the funding as a federal investment in the city's economic vitality.

In September, the city's aldermen approved acceptance of a $4.49 million Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program grant to fund the relocation of the taxiway at the airport.

The project will make the airport more competitive by modernizing and improving the safety and capacity of the facility's taxiway network.

Along with the money for Frederick Municipal Airport, Hagerstown Regional Airport received $1.14 million in funding.

Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP