10.21.24

$24.5M Goes to WA Airports For Terminal Improvements

Grants will help fund South Concourse rehabilitation at Sea-Tac, build new passenger boarding bridges at Spokane and Tri-Cities, & modernize baggage claim system in Yakima

EDMONDS, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced that four State of Washington airports will receive grants from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Terminal Program (ATP) to support infrastructure upgrades and modernization projects. Sen. Cantwell secured a big funding boost for the ATP through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

“Serving over 50 million travelers a year, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is a major gateway for travelers and businesses in the State of Washington and its South Concourse connects the Pacific Northwest to the world,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This funding will make major updates to the 1970’s era facility, enhancing the passenger experience for international travelers and investing in the structural and seismic safety of the concourse, ensuring passenger safety for the next half century.”

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will receive $17.5 million to fund a portion of Phase 1 construction for the South Concourse Reconstruction Project including structural, seismic, and building system upgrades. The current South Concourse building was originally built in the early 1970's and expanded in the early 1980's. The structure does not meet seismic, fire, and many other current code requirements. This project will upgrade the building to current safety codes. These early work projects will accomplish the significant amount of construction that can occur in advance of any impacts to airplane gates. In particular, the early work will increase passenger safety by strengthening columns and foundations throughout the building.

“The Tri-Cities Airport is critical to Central Washington’s continued economic growth,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This funding will enable the airport to accommodate larger planes by adding three additional passenger boarding bridges. With a record 872,000 travelers in 2023, this grant will help Tri-Cities Airport keep pace with demand and future growth.”

Tri-Cities Airport will receive $4 million towards the purchase of three additional passenger boarding bridges to be added to existing gates, as well as expanding the outbound baggage area. Tri-Cities Airport, operated by the Port of Pasco, is the fourth-largest air carrier airport in the state and the largest airport in the southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon region. The airport has ten nonstop destinations and has increased enplanements by nearly 100,000 in the past five years. Sen. Cantwell’s letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the project is available HERE.

“Spokane is on the move — last year the airport welcomed a record 4.13 million travelers,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This funding will help Spokane International Airport eliminate ground boarding at the airport and pursue the airport’s first LEED certified concourse, steps that will improve capacity, accessibility, and sustainability.”

Spokane International Airport will receive $2 million towards the final phase of the facility’s terminal renovation and expansion (TREX) project, which includes renovating three passenger boarding bridges, and making important utilities and accessibility upgrades. When complete, the project will add six additional ticket counters and three additional gates at Concourse C. The additional capacity is much-needed -- Spokane International Airport saw enplanements grow 38 percent between 2013 and 2019. Last year, the airport served 4.13 million passengers, exceeding for the first time the pre-pandemic high of 4.03 million passengers in 2019. Sen. Cantwell’s letter to Sec. Buttigieg in support of the project is available HERE.

In May, Sen. Cantwell visited Spokane to celebrate completion of the first phase of the project. Since the TREX project was announced, Sen. Cantwell has helped to secure $61.3 million in federal funding for the airport’s expansion. Photos of that event are available HERE.

“Yakima is a key agriculture and manufacturing hub for our economy and increasing air service is helping the area create more jobs and attract new businesses,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This grant will help Yakima Air Terminal replace and modernize its baggage claim system to improve the passenger experience and keep Central Washingtonians moving.

Yakima Air Terminal will receive $1 million to replace the airport’s legacy slide baggage chute with a new moving baggage carousel. The Yakima Air Terminal, first constructed in 1950, provides $591 million in economic impact and 2,366 jobs to the city and the surrounding rural counties. Last year the airport added a second set of flights to Seattle, making it more attractive for passengers to travel through their local hometown airport rather than driving. Sen. Cantwell’s letter to Sec. Buttigieg in support of the project is available HERE.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cantwell has championed a dramatic increase in federal resources for airport infrastructure improvements like this one. In 2021, Sen. Cantwell worked hard to secure funding for air travel infrastructure nationwide as part of the BIL. With her support, the infrastructure package provided a total of $25 billion for airport improvements, including $5 billion for the Airport Terminal Program – the program from which these grants will be made, $5 billion for Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facilities, and $15 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grants.

These critical investments in airports across the state are particularly timely as air travel hits all-time highs. According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), in July the agency set a record for most passengers screened in a single day, with more than 3 million travelers screened on July 7.  In late June, TSA screened the most travelers in a single week – 19.5 million. Moreover, seven of the 10 busiest air travel days ever occurred over the past summer, according to TSA.