Burlington International Airport has been awarded $2.6 million in Federal Aviation Administration grant money to complete an ongoing infrastructure improvement project, according to a joint news release issued Thursday by Vermont’s congressional delegation.
Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said in the release that the grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve the efficiency and safety of airport operations. The money will be used to extend two existing taxiways – the last step in a string of infrastructure improvements, the release said.
“Burlington International Airport is one of the essential gateways into Vermont,” Leahy, Sanders and Welch said in the statement. “The airport is a critical part of the Vermont economy and facilitates economic development for the entire region. It is often the first place that domestic and international tourists to our state see and these federal grants will ensure the quality of the airport’s infrastructure matches the quality of the services travelers will find beyond the gates.”
“We feel very grateful to have received these funds that will help better serve Vermonters and the Northeast region,” BTV Director of Aviation Gene Richards said in the release.
