Pennsylvania airports to receive critical upgrades with funding from infrastructure law | The Pennsylvania Independent
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A traveler moves through Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Three Pennsylvania airports received another round of federal funding from President Joe Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Democratic lawmakers announced on Oct. 22.

The Airport Terminal Program, created by the law, is providing $27.5 million for the Philadelphia International Airport, $6 million for the Pittsburgh International Airport, and a little more than $3 million for the Harrisburg International Airport.

The funding will be used to upgrade terminals and modernize electrical systems at the Philadelphia airport; install new flooring, restore columns and bulkheads, and replace the moving walkways at the Pittsburgh facility; and replace escalators and renovate bathrooms at the Harrisburg location, according to prepared statements from the lawmakers. The funding was announced by U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman; U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon, Dwight Evans, Brendan Boyle, Chris Deluzio, and Summer Lee; and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.

The lawmakers said the federal funds are critical for the airports, which contribute significantly to the commonwealth’s economy.

“It’s investments like this that help keep Philadelphia a world-class city with world-class infrastructure,” Fetterman said in a press release. “This $27.5 million for terminal energy upgrades guarantees that the commonwealth’s largest airport stays efficient, resilient, and ready for the future. That’s how we keep Philly competitive and connected.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, has allocated billions of federal dollars to Pennsylvania, including to repair roads and bridges, invest in waterway infrastructure, replace lead water pipes, and expand internet access in rural areas. It has provided significant funding for Pennsylvania’s airports.

Pennsylvania airports had been in need of financial support to address aging infrastructure and a lack of hangar space, according to a 2022 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers. The report gave the state’s infrastructure as a whole a “C-,” with a “B-” rating for aviation. Future funding for Pennsylvania’s airports will need to take into consideration the impact of climate change on the facilities, with more severe weather resulting in more quickly deteriorating infrastructure, the report said.

Aviation contributed $34.1 billion to  the Pennsylvania economy in 2019, according to a 2022 study from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Over the course of two years, PennDOT collected data from the commonwealth’s 120 public-use airports and found they directly employed 133,473 people and generated nearly $7 billion in annual payroll.

Democratic lawmakers said in their prepared statements that they will continue to fight for additional funding for Pennsylvania’s airports and other transportation infrastructure. While the infrastructure legislation received some bipartisan support, a majority of the votes in favor of the bill came from Democrats. Nearly all the votes against the bill came from Republican lawmakers. All nine of Pennsylvania’s congressional Democrats supported the legislation. All but one of the state’s eight House Republicans, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, voted against the bill.

Republican lawmakers have pushed to cut federal funding for smaller airports. 

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican who represents the 10th Congressional District in central Pennsylvania, in June 2023 introduced H.R. 3822, which called for the elimination of the federal Essential Air Service program, which provides funding to and ensures that air service continues to be provided at smaller airports. Pennsylvania has five airports that are eligible for EAS funding, in Altoona, Bradford, Dubois, Johnstown, and Lancaster. 

Perry’s bill never made it out of subcommittee, and the legislation is now dead.

Congress passed an Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act in May that boosted funding for the Essential Air Service program. Perry was one of 26 House members to vote against the reauthorization act; he was the only House member from Pennsylvania to do so.

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