The Indianapolis Airport Authority has received more than $18 million in federal and state grants this year in support of projects at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and its reliever airports. Nearly $9.7 million is going toward the Consolidated Snow Removal Equipment building at the Indy airport, which will house massive, high-tech snow removal equipment. Other projects the total grant funds will cover include infrastructure rehabilitation, safety and security projects.
This is the second largest grant total the IAA has received, since the Midfield project. In 2018 IAA received nearly $20 million from the Federal Aviation Administration and the State of Indiana for various projects. In total, the IAA has received nearly $83.4 million in total grants over the last five years.
“Federal and state grants are critical to the Indy airport maintaining its place as the top airport in the country,” said IAA Executive Director Mario Rodriguez. “These grant-funded projects will increase our public value to the community, our airline partners and passengers, and the tenants at our general aviation airports while contributing millions of dollars to the local economy through construction-related activities and employment.”
These grants are expected to create more than 300 direct and indirect jobs across the IAA’s system of airports. Those jobs add to the Indy airport’s economic impact by supporting 22,600 area jobs.
The approximate 70,000-square-foot Consolidated Snow Removal Building will provide climate-controlled storage and maintenance areas for some of the most state-of-the-art snow removal equipment available today. Additional grant-funded infrastructure projects include repaving taxiways, upgrading taxiway lighting and rehabbing terminal apron joints, among others.
“The projects funded by these grants create economic opportunity in our community,” said Jarod Klaas, IAA senior director of planning and development. “Our ability to leverage the community’s diverse and small businesses is key to the continued growth of the airport, Indianapolis and the region.”
