More Federal Dollars Flow Into San Antonio Airport for Expansion Plan

Jul. 22—San Antonio International Airport will take in $17 million in new federal funds, on top of a large grant the airport already has landed this year.

Airport officials said they will use this round of Federal Aviation Administration money to finish taxiway reconstruction projects.

"This funding supports our continued focus on safety for both (San Antonio International) and the FAA," city Aviation Director Jesus Saenz said in a statement.

One of the taxiway projects is in preparation for the airport's third terminal, which is expected to open in 2028. At 832,500 square feet, the new terminal will be more than double the size of the existing two terminals combined.

The new terminal is part of the airport's 20-year, $2.5 billion expansion plan, which City Manager Erik Walsh called "the most important project that the city has going forward."

Airport revenue bonds will pay for most of the expansion, though city officials are seeking as much federal help as possible. The city will pay off the bonds with passenger and airline feed

Walsh, Saenz and Mayor Ron Nirenberg, as well as San Antonio's congressional delegation, have lobbied federal aviation officials on San Antonio's long-term plan for increasing the number of domestic and international flights — after the airport lost out to dozens of other facilities, including eight in Texas, during last year's federal grant cycle.

In February, those efforts paid off when the FAA awarded the airport $20 million toward the construction of a 37,000-square-foot ground loading facility in Terminal A. Set to open by early 2025, the facility will allow airlines to board passengers directly from the tarmac out of five additional gates.

___

(c)2023 the San Antonio Express-News

Visit the San Antonio Express-News at www.mysanantonio.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.