Pennsylvania airports to receive grant money
August 29, 2012, 11:59 am
Tom Corbett, governor of Pennsylvania, recently announced that 19 airports will receive $3.7 million in state grants to help enhance their operations. The money is from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's aviation development program. A portion of the money, $1.2 million, came from the state's jet fuel tax and leverages.
“Transportation is an economic driver, and Pennsylvania’s aviation industry plays a major role in delivering good-paying jobs and connections for commerce,” Corbett said. “We continue to invest in airport improvement projects because they help meet business demands and support the jobs that rely on these facilities.”
Allegheny County Airport will be the largest benefactor of the funds, receiving $1.1 million to improve its electrical infrastructure in the public parking lot and surrounding areas. McVille Airport is receiving $622,500 to renovate its airfield fuel facility and improve its runways, and Zelienople Municipal Airport will get $397,500 to continue improvements to its airport access road and hangar.
Pennsylvania is not the only state looking to improve its aviation environment. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin declared August as Aviation and Aerospace Appreciation Month.
The governor highlighted the important impact the general aviation community has on the economy as well as businesses, farms and medical services. She added that the aviation industry supports 115,000 jobs statewide and contributes $1.2 billion to the economy annually.
“In Oklahoma, there are 139 public-use airports, 11,000 general aviation aircraft and nearly 8,000 pilots across the state,” stated Craig L. Fuller, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. “These airports and aircraft support local commerce, help to facilitate medical care and disaster relief, and connect communities in Oklahoma with the rest of the country. We look forward to working with Governor Fallin to increase awareness about the importance of the general aviation industry.”
Fallin noted in March that general aviation is parallel with the highway system and 97 percent of Oklahoma's population lives within 30 minutes of general aviation airports, indicating their enormous impact on moving commerce and business across the state.
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