FAA Awards $133 Million to Hawai‘i Airports in Response to COVID-19

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration will award $133,334,924 in airport aid to 15 airports in Hawaiʻi to help respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

In Maui County, the funds include: $23,656,740 for Kahului Airport; $1,497,842 for Molokaʻi Airport; $1,302,047 for Lānaʻi Airport; $69,000 for Hāna Airport; $69,000 for Kalaupapa; and $1,000 for Kapalua Airport.

View a list of Hawaiʻi airports receiving funding on an interactive map, along with funding for all US airports on FAA’s website.

FAA Airport Funding in Maui County. PC: FAA

This grant funding is part of the newly created Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program, an effort to provide immediate relief to American families, workers and businesses.

“This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nation’s airports during this crisis and save workers’ jobs,” said US Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao in making the announcement this morning.

This funding will support continuing operations and replace lost revenue resulting from the sharp decline in passenger traffic and other airport business due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds are available for airport capital expenditures, airport operating expenses including payroll and utilities and airport debt payments.

“Thank you to the dedicated men and women from the FAA’s Office of Airports for creating an entirely new program in record time to assist airport sponsors in desperate need of these funds,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson.

The FAA encourages airport sponsors to spend the grant funds immediately to help minimize any adverse impact from the current public health emergency. Airport sponsors should work with their local FAA Office of Airports field office on the application and grant-agreement process.

The CARES Act also provides funds to increase the Federal share to 100 percent for grants awarded under the fiscal year 2020 appropriations for Airport Improvement Program and Supplemental Discretionary grants. Under normal circumstances, AIP grant recipients contribute a matching percentage of the project costs. Providing this additional funding and eliminating the local share will allow critical safety and capacity projects to continue as planned regardless of airport sponsors’ current financial circumstances.

The FAA will use a streamlined application and grant-agreement process to make this funding immediately available for critical airport needs. The funds will be available as soon as the airport sponsor executes a grant agreement.

The CARES Act provides new funds distributed by various formulas for all airports that are part of the national airport system. This includes all commercial service airports, all reliever airports and some public-owned general aviation airports.

A Coast Guard Auxiliary aircrew delivers response supplies from Maui to Lanai, March 28, 2020. The pilots transported COVID-19 supplies, including temperature reading thermometers and hand sanitation equipment, from the Maui Airport Fire Station to personnel at Lanai Airport for use by airport staff. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Berry Redmayne/Released)