Inland Empire Airports To Receive Federal Improvement Grants

INLAND EMPIRE, CA -- The airports in Palm Springs and San Bernardino among those receiving grants as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program, the FAA announced Wednesday.

Palm Springs International Airport is slated to receive $9.5 million for, among other things, the acquisition of an aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle and the modification of the airport's terminal building. Palm Springs International also received a separate grant of over $81,000 to conduct a study related to airport operations.

In total, nearly 60 airports throughout California are to receive grant funding. The money is part of the latest allotment of the Airport Improvement Program, under which the FAA is giving $478 million in airport infrastructure grants to 232 airports across the country.

Another airport in the region receiving grant funding is the San Bernardino International Airport, which the FAA is providing with $600,000 to renovate it's tarmac.

"This significant investment in airport improvements in California will fund construction and rehabilitation projects that will help maintain high levels of safety in U.S. aviation," U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in a news release.

Besides enhancing the safety at the selected airports, the construction and renovation projects will promote economic growth in the regions served by those airports, according to the FAA.

The full list of grant recipients and projects can be seen on the FAA's website.