Eight N.M. Airports to share $4.7 Million to Improve Municipal Airports

The following information was released by the Office of New Mexico Senator Pete V. Domenici:

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved grants worth more than $4.7 million to improve airports in eight New Mexico Communities.

Domenici, who serves on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds the FAA, said the grants were approved for work in Belen, Roswell, Artesia, Clovis, Portales, Santa Teresa, Alamogordo, and San Juan Pueblo.

Airport safety is important to any municipal airport. These funds will make these transportation facilities better assets for each community, Domenici said.

The FAA award to Belen derives from $109,000 in formula funding and $500,000 in congressional appropriations. It will be used complete engineering and land acquisition needed to support the construction of a new runway.

The FAA is providing $890,000 for the city of Clovis to acquire a new aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle, as well as improve runway safety.

The city of Portales gained $470,895 to reconstruct the primary access road to its municipal airport. The grant will also allow the city to conduct an environmental study for the proposed extension and widening of a runway at the airport, which would allow the facility to accept larger aircraft.

A $439,000 grant to San Juan Pueblo will be used to restrict access to the airport adjacent to a state highway.

The Roswell International Air Center will receive over $1 million from the FAA to acquire a new aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicle, to improve the terminal building in compliance with standards recommended by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and to update the airport master plan study.

In addition, the Artesia Municipal Airport will receive $150,000 to install perimeter fencing throughout the entire airport.

The Doa Ana County Airport at Santa Teresa will receive $664,500 to extend the existing runway. The extension will allow larger passenger and freight aircraft to operate through this site.

Finally, the Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport will receive $450,000 to install perimeter fencing throughout the entire airport.

Domenici noted that President Bush this week recommended $50 million in his FY2007 budget request for the Essential Air Service and Rural Airport Improvement Fund programs that help provide commercial air service to small communities.

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