Sens. Warner and Kaine announce more than $21 million to support improvements at Virginia airports

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) have announced more than $21 million in federal funding to support Virginia airports, with some improvements reaching airports in the Greater Richmond Region.

$21,254,275 in federal funding million will go toward infrastructure improvements at ten airports in the Commonwealth, according to a release shared by the Warner's office on Wednesday, July 9.

The funding will see $4 million go to Richmond International Airport and $164,000 at Dinwiddie County Airport, with about $107,000 at the New Kent County Airport, and other improvements going to other airports across the Commonwealth.

“We are thrilled to announce this funding for Virginia’s airports. This investment is a major win for Virginia’s travelers and communities and will help to ensure our airports are safer, more efficient, and ready to meet growing demand in the years to come.”  Sen. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine

The following is a full list of areas affected across Virginia:

• $6,000,000 to the Peninsula Airport Commission to reconstruct 6,500 feet of existing paved taxiways at Newport News-Williamsburg Airport
• $5,927,653 to the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission through grants to rehabilitate existing runway and taxiway at Roanoke-Blacksburg Airport
• $4,000,000 to the Capital Region Airport Commission for the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) station at Richmond International Airport
• $1,699,218 to the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport Authority to upgrade and replace existing security equipment at Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport
• $1,229,342 to the City of Lynchburg to rehabilitate runway at Lynchburg Regional Airport
• $750,000 to the Orange County Board of Supervisors to construct a new hangar for aircraft storage at Orange County Airport
• $600,000 to the County of Halifax to reconstruct runway lighting at William M. Tuck Airport
• $164,000 to the Dinwiddie County Airport and Industrial Authority to expand the terminal apron to allow for a wider variety of aircrafts at Dinwiddie County Airport
• $107,112 to the County of New Kent to remove trees obstructing operations at New Kent County Airport
• $76,950 to the Tazewell County Airport Authority to remove trees obstructing operations at Tazewell County Airport
• $700,000 to the Commonwealth of Virginia to update Virginia’s existing airport system plan

This funding comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration Airport Infrastructure Grant program, made possible by the bipartisan infrastructure law.

This is not the first time Warner and Kaine supported efforts to improve Virginia's airports. In September 2021, they announced that over $9 million in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be allocated to two airports in Virginia to help fund projects.

In addition, they announced nearly $57 million in federal funding for revitalization efforts in October and more than $46 million in federal funding for improvements to Virginia airports through the Airport Improvement Program in September.