U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Bruce Westerman and Steve Womack—announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded over $1.4 million in federal grants to airports and airfields in Arkansas to offset costs and maintain jobs as a result of COVID-19 as well as provide for increased sanitization to combat the spread of pathogens at these facilities.
The DOT, through the Federal Aviation Administration, is distributing the funds appropriated through the Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which passed with the support of the entire Arkansas Congressional Delegation in December 2020.
“Our local airports connect our communities, residents and businesses. These grants will ensure operations continue to run smoothly and help provide a safe environment for travelers and personnel. As we turn the corner on the pandemic, we look forward to seeing travel steadily increase,” members said.
The following awardees are recipients of CRRSA funding:
- Texarkana Regional-Webb Field (Miller County)
- $1,020,766 to the Texarkana Airport Authority
§ Including an additional CRRSA concessions grant to provide economic relief from rent and minimum annual guarantees to on-airport car rental, on-airport parking and in-terminal concessions.
- Drake Field (Washington County)
- $57,162 to the City of Fayetteville
- West Memphis Municipal (Crittenden County)
- $23,000 to the City of West Memphis
- Saline County Regional (Saline County)
- $23,000 to the County of Saline
- South Arkansas Regional at Goodwin Field (Union County)
- $23,000 to the City of El Dorado
- North Little Rock Municipal (Pulaski County)
- $23,000 to the City of North Little Rock
- Batesville Regional (Independence County)
- $23,000 to Batesville Regional Airport
- Bentonville Municipal/Louise M. Thaden Field (Benton County)
- $23,000 to the City of Bentonville
- Baxter County Airport (Baxter County)
- $23,000 to the County of Baxter
- Smith Field (Benton County)
- $13,000 to the City of Siloam Springs
- Morrilton Municipal (Conway County)
- $13,000 to the City of Morrilton
- Hope Municipal (Hempstead County)
- $13,000 to the City of Hope
- Russellville Regional (Pope County)
- $13,000 to the City of Russellville
- Sheridan Municipal (Grant County)
- $13,000 to the County of Grant
- Pocahontas Municipal (Randolph County)
- $13,000 to the City of Pocahontas
- Melbourne Municipal – John E Miller Field (Izard County)
- $13,000 to the City of Melbourne
- Clinton Municipal (Van Buren County)
- $13,000 to the City of Clinton
- Pine Bluff Regional/Grider Field (Jefferson County)
- $13,000 to the City of Pine Bluff
- Corning Municipal (Clay County)
- $13,000 for the City of Corning
- Bearce Airport (Montgomery County)
- $9,000 to the City of Mount Ida
- McGehee Municipal (Desha County)
- $9,000 to the City of McGehee
- Harrell Field (Ouachita County)
- $9,000 to the City of Camden
- Ralph C Weiser Field (Columbia County)
- $9,000 to the City of Magnolia
- Clarksville Municipal (Johnson County)
- $9,000 to the City of Clarksville
In recent weeks, members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation have announced more than $10 million in CRRSA funding awarded to state airports and airfields by the DOT. CRRSA was signed into law by former President Donald Trump on December 27, 2020. The deadline to apply for the program’s grants is June 30, 2021.
