Airport Grants Cover Upgrades of Arnold Palmer Runway, Pittsburgh International Air Systems

Sep. 2--Join the conversation

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Federal grants will allow Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to wrap up its runway improvements this year and will replace aging units that control the temperature on planes parked at Pittsburgh International Airport.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao announced this week the approval of more than $1.2 billion in Federal Aviation Administration grants to fully fund safety and infrastructure projects at 405 airports.

Arnold Palmer Regional was awarded more than $5 million to complete widening and strengthening of its runway and related taxiway revisions.

The grant for the Unity airport is enough to cover the third phase of the runway upgrade, allowing contractor Derry Construction to start work while Golden Triangle Construction continues its efforts, both during a scheduled shutdown of flights Sept. 9-25.

The FAA grant was "the missing piece to finish the project," said Paul Puleo, chairman of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the airport. "This project was set up to potentially run over a two-year period, but it's all come together so we can get it all done at one time."

The project will widen the runway from 100 feet to 150 feet, which will provide a broader target for pilots landing in inclement weather, according to authority Executive Director Gabe Monzo. Also, a 3-inch layer will be added to strengthen the pavement, so the runway will be able to stand up to more frequent flights by heavier aircraft.

Monzo noted the project will position the airport to take advantage of a hoped-for rebound from a decline in passenger numbers experienced at Arnold Palmer and other airports during the covid-19 pandemic.

"We anticipate that, next year, the business will be back," he said.

Passenger totals have been slowly recovering after sole commercial carrier Spirit Airlines suspended flights at the airport for most of April. The airport served 11,501 passengers in July, up from just 423 in April but substantially down from 27,637 in July 2019.

Pittsburgh International will use its $3.5 million grant, available through the FAA's Voluntary Airport Low Emissions office, to replace 13 air systems with more energy-efficient versions.

Located at gates in the C and D concourses, the systems pump air "onto planes parked at the gates, reducing the need for the planes to keep their engines running and do it themselves," said airport spokesman Matt Neistein.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, [email protected] or via Twitter .

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