Idaho Falls Regional Airport among 36 airports statewide to receive federal funding
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IDAHO FALLS – Air travel is at a standstill nationwide and in eastern Idaho due to COVID-19, and that means airports are hurting financially.
The U.S. Dept. of Transporation announced Tuesday it will award more than $44 million in financial aid to 36 airports in Idaho, including the Idaho Falls Regional Airport.
Airport Director Rick Cloutier tells EastIdahoNews.com they will receive about $2.25 million of that total amount, which will help offset revenue lost because of the pandemic.
“It will make sure we’re not in the hole, that we have good credit standing and good finances going forward as we try to work our way out of this,” Cloutier says.
Cloutier anticipates receiving the funds within 30 days.
These funds are part of President Trump’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to help provide relief to American families, workers, and businesses.
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Commercial airports will get a larger amount than other airports, Cloutier says, and so will airports with a lot of debt. The Idaho Falls airport is the second-busiest in the state and it is also debt-free, he says.
The Rexburg-Madison County airport is expected to receive $30,000, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Pocatello Regional Airport will receive $1,190,517.
Since the Idaho Falls airport gets all its funding through sources on-site, Cloutier says the coronavirus shutdown has had a huge impact financially.
“We’re at about 95 percent of the passengers we had at the same time last year,” Cloutier says.
Though the federal funding will provide some relief, Cloutier says it will not totally make up all the losses.
Once the pandemic is all over, he says it’s going to take some time to get back to normal.
“It’s not going to happen overnight and everything will take a period of time to reopen,” Cloutier says. “I would say a few months, at least.”
RELATED | Expansions underway at Idaho Falls Regional Airport
Construction on a new terminal was supposed to begin this spring. It has since been pushed back.
The 18-month project will add another 35,000-square-feet to the airport, three new gates, additional holding room space and TSA screening space, as well as restaurant and concession space.
“Thank you to the dedicated men and women from the FAA’s Office of Airports for creating an entirely new program in record time to assist airport sponsors in desperate need of these funds,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson says in a news release.
A list of airports receiving funding nationwide is available by clicking here.