Airport receives $11M in emergency funding

Glacier Park International Airport will receive $11 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration to help with recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.

The funds are part of an overall emergency aid package of $73.8 million awarded to 71 airports in Montana in response to the pandemic. The grant funding is part of the newly created Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program.

Glacier Park International Airport Director Rob Ratkowski said GPIA’s emergency funds will be used to recoup losses the airport has already experienced because of coronavirus and losses they expect to incur as the virus continues to cut into local air travel. Ratkowski said the financial award will also support capital projects such as the $100 million terminal expansion set to get underway this year.

“It’s very beneficial for us right now,” Ratkowski commented.

He explained the money to recoup losses would have otherwise come out of capital project funding, so this support frees up those funds to be used as originally intended.

GPIA has experienced sharp declines in passengers in the past few weeks, with only about 20 travelers currently coming through the airport every day, according to Ratkowski. Normally, he said GPIA sees about 500 to 600 passengers per day during this time of year, although April is typically the airport’s slowest month.

Nonetheless, Ratkowski maintained GPIA is in solid financial shape despite the unprecedented situation. But he said the FAA’s additional support will “go a long way.”

The CARES Act also provides funds to increase the federal share to 100% for grants awarded under the fiscal year 2020 appropriations for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Supplemental Discretionary grants. Under normal circumstances, AIP grant recipients contribute a matching percentage of the project costs. Providing this additional funding and eliminating the local share will allow critical safety and capacity projects to continue as planned regardless of airport sponsors’ current financial circumstances.

To make this funding immediately available, the FAA has streamlined the application and grant-agreement process, and the funds will be available as soon as the airport sponsor executes a grant agreement.