Newport State Airport will receive nearly $2 million in federal funding to rehabilitate its main runway, part of a $20.3 million package secured by Rhode Island’s congressional delegation for upgrades and construction projects across the state airport system.
The Rhode Island Airport Corporation has been awarded $1,966,339 to help rehabilitate 2,600 feet of existing paved Runway 4/22 at Newport State Airport, work that is intended to enhance and maintain the runway’s structural integrity and extend its useful life.
U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Reps. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo announced the funding Monday. The grants are administered through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program and were authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed in November 2021, which included an additional $15 billion in program funding.
“These funds will keep Rhode Island airports safe, updated, and operating efficiently,” Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, said. “I am pleased to have helped secure this funding to enhance local airports and ensure they continue to serve the people who depend on them.”
“I was glad to support these federal investments in T.F. Green and Rhode Island’s smaller airports,” Whitehouse, ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said. “The improvements will keep operations running smoothly for passengers and commerce.”
Magaziner said the state’s airports help power Rhode Island’s economy. “I will continue to work with my colleagues in the delegation to ensure that our airports are adequately funded so that air travel in Rhode Island is safe, accessible and efficient,” he said.
Amo said the federal funding “will ensure our airports get the infrastructure improvements they need so travelers can get to their destinations safely and efficiently.”
The largest share of the funding, $12,573,995, will go to T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick for a new 42,000-square-yard remain overnight apron to accommodate more aircraft operations. Westerly State Airport will receive $5,399,160 to rehabilitate more than 4,000 feet of Runway 7/25. Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown will receive $254,271 to remove vegetation along the Runway 16 approach identified as obstructions by the FAA. North Central State Airport in Smithfield will receive $178,949 for the first phase of obstruction-removal work, including acquisition of two avigation easements on the approach end of Runway 5.
“We appreciate the continued support of Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation and the FAA,” said Iftikhar Ahmad, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. “These investments will enhance safety, strengthen infrastructure, and support the long-term reliability of Rhode Island’s airport system.”
Jonathan Savage, chair of the corporation’s Board of Directors, said the funding is essential to maintaining and improving the infrastructure that supports the state’s economy and traveling public.
Under FAA guidelines, the program may cover up to 95 percent of the cost of eligible projects, with the rest coming from airport revenues.
The Rhode Island Airport Corporation operates T.F. Green, North Central, Quonset, Westerly, Newport and Block Island airports.
