Newport Municipal Airport manager Tommy Sanders says a $434,700 Airport Infrastructure Grant, funded by the 2021-passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will go toward the northeast Arkansas airport's runway, first laid down as a U.S. Marine Corps base during World War II.
Today, several corporate jets are kept at the airport, which built a new terminal in 2012 and sees an annual influx of private traffic during duck season. Newport said runway work should be completed by the first of the month, funded through state and local monies in addition to the federal grant, and that new hangars and work in the airport's apron are planned upon receipt of additional funding.
"We do that to keep this as a safe and usable runway and airport for the community and our economic growth," Sanders said. "We have a lot of local businesses that have their corporate jets flying here pretty often, duck hunters from all over the place, different states. It's just a constant process, keeping everything up and running. It takes lots of money to do it. We've done a good job over the years, just maintaining ourselves, but a lot of these jobs, it takes big money to maintain, and that's what we use these grants for."
Airports across Arkansas and nationwide have been benefiting from $15 billion in planned Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
"The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to support projects to increase safety and efficiency on taxiways and runways at over 70 airports across the country," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement last week announcing $110 million for 74 grants in 32 states.