Purdue University Airport receives $295,000 in federal aviation funding

Deanna Watson, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·2 min read
The Purdue University Airport, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021 in West Lafayette.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Airport was recently awarded $295,000 in federal funding, part of an estimated $33.9 million awarded to Indiana's 63 airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA announced the first of five rounds of funding made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The money, according to the FAA, can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects.

The award's announcement comes days after Gov. Eric Holcomb announced regional funding in the Greater Lafayette that included building a new passenger terminal at Purdue University Airport. That statewide funding came through the Indiana Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative.

The Purdue University Airport, a public-use airport in Tippecanoe County, is about two miles southwest of Lafayette, in West Lafayette.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has given us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build safer and more sustainable airports that connect individuals to jobs and communities to the world,” said U.S. Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg, in the announcement.

“With this new funding, urban, regional and rural airports across the country now can get to work on projects that have waited for years, modernizing their infrastructure and building a better America.”

For the upcoming rounds of funding, Indiana airports can apply for FAA review in the coming weeks. The federal agency, according to the release, encourages airports to prioritize projects that increase airport safety, equity and sustainability.

The FAA also plans outreach with the minority business community at airports across the nation.

Other Indiana airports receiving funding during the first year of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law include:

  • Evansville Regional in Evansville: $2,197,807

  • Fort Wayne International in Fort Wayne: $3,214,541

  • Indianapolis International in Indianapolis: $13,138,550

  • South Bend International in South Bend: $3,256,392

  • Crawfordsville Regional Airport: $159,000

  • Frankfort Municipal Airport: $159,000

  • Delphi Municipal Airport: $110,000

For a list of funding for all Indiana airports, visit the agency's interactive map.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to the FAA, provides $15 billion over five years for this program. The FAA estimates the backlog of airport modernization and safety projects totals $43.6 billion.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue airport receives $295,000 in federal aviation funding