ALDOT grants to help fund $1.5M worth of projects at 3 municipal airports

Nearly half a million dollars in state funding is being distributed among three different municipal airports around the state.

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced more than $485,000 in grant money will go to airport projects totaling around $1.5 million around the state. The airports impacted include:

• Auburn
• Cullman
• Tuscaloosa

Keep reading to find out how the money will be used + learn more about the economic impact of Alabama’s airports.

ALDOT matching local, federal funds

It will not only be state funds going toward these projects, with the Federal Aviation Administration + local governments.

The Auburn University Regional Airport has a project to expand its north terminal area apron. The project is expected to cost just under $900,000 with funds coming from:

• FAA – $790,844
• ALDOT – $43,935
• Airport – $43,937

In Cullman, the Regional Airport-Folsom Field is looking to construct a general aviation apron. The project will cost approximately a quarter million dollars. The funding includes:

• FAA – $225,099
• ALDOT – $12,505
• City of Cullman – $12,506

The Tuscaloosa National Airport is set to spend over $500,000 to apply a crack seal on two taxiways. While there will be no federal funding used, this project is receiving the largest of the ALDOT grants.

• ALDOT – $428,716
• City of Tuscaloosa – $142,906

The ALDOT grants are provided through the Alabama Airport Improvement Funding Program. It allows the department to provide financial assistance along with other engineering or technical services to public airports.

ALDOT says it expects to award around $8 million in state funds to Alabama airports during the 2024 fiscal year.

Economic impact

ALDOT says approximately 1.4 million visitors arrive to Alabama by airplane, through six commercial airports and 72 general aviation airports around the state.

According to a report from the department, the state’s airports support over $4.9 billion in annual economic activity. Nearly half of that is attributed to the smaller general aviation airports.

The funds come through various airport-related revenue generators including:

• Sales tax on visitor spending
• Income tax on employees supported by visitor spending
• Sales tax on spending by airports and their business tenants
• Income tax on employees of airports and business tenants
• Sales tax on capital investment spending
• Income tax on employees supported by capital investment spending

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