Laredo Airport to Receive Over $7M for Expansion, Upgrades

Sep. 18—Rep. Henry Cuellar announced $7,222,563 in federal funding for expansion, improvements and upgrades to Laredo International Airport on Friday. The funding includes support for the expansion of the existing terminal building, equipment for the Coronavirus Response Grant Program and help for small concessions inside the airport.

"We have a runway that is longer than San Antonio's runway, we have more runways than Mexico City does," Cuellar said. "There's not too many airports that have that type of money that we've invested."

Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz, City Manager Robert Eads, and LIA Director Jeffrey Miller were among the local leaders who gathered at the airport to receive this funding.

Included in the funding, $77,996 will be awarded to provide economic relief for large and small concessions at the airport, $1,430,318 will provide economic relief for the airport to prevent, prepare and respond to the pandemic, and $3,416,741 will fund the terminal building project.

" Port Laredo continues to be the No. 1 inland port along the U.S.- Mexico border, and the nation's third busiest port among more than 450 airports, seaports and border crossings," Saenz said. "Needless to say, these funds will allow us to continue being in the top ranks."

"$7.2 million dollars is a drop in the bucket to what this congressman has been able to do for this community," District III councilmember Mercurio Martinez III said. "Since 1986, he's been working so hard for this community that he has brought millions and millions of dollars not only for our community but for this airport."

The project will improve, modify, and rehabilitate the Airport Terminal Building. These upgrades include the rehabilitation of the existing terminal building, upgrade interior spaces and upgrade mechanical and electrical systems.

Additions to the north side of the existing building will increase in 37% of the usable interior space. The additions will be 80,200 square feet to the existing terminal and a new addition of 29,757 square feet.

"Hopefully we can bring in more businesses as far as flights are concerned to and from Laredo, and be able to have different destination places — not just Houston, Dallas and Mexico City — but expand it to the entire United States and possibly throughout other places in Mexico," District V councilmember Ruben Gutierrez said.

The terminal building, built in 1998, is in need of renovations as the past decade the population of Laredo grew by 11.3%. The COVID-19 pandemic also greatly impacted Laredo's airport with a 53% decrease in traveler visits, resulting in great economic losses for the concessions.

This expansion project hopes to break ground this October or November and start construction in January of 2022.

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