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Over $4 Million is Headed to Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport to Help Fund Construction of Service Road

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves, the Ranking Member of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Aviation, announced the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR) will receive an additional $4,286,525 in federal funding for improvements to the airport. The funds will be provided through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

"Over 2.1 million people in the U.S. traveled by airplane last Sunday – the most in a single day since March of 2020. Throw in parking, luggage, waiting in lines, short-staffed airport businesses, delays, cancelations, and being cramped on planes, and you start to appreciate all that goes into taking a flight. Airport infrastructure can make or break a trip, and the right investments help ensure a safe, efficient, and enjoyable travel experience. These funds will increase safety and flight options - helping us expand the airport that serves the Baton Rouge region," Graves said. "And legislation we are pushing in Congress would provide some flexibility for these dollars to quickly turn dirt on projects. Meaning, we can improve the efficiency and capacity of our airports at a faster pace because unfinished projects don't get planes, consumers, goods, or services moving on time."

Since being named the top Republican on the Aviation Subcommittee in January 2019, Graves has helped secure more than $43 million in federal funding for BTR:

  • FY19 AIP: $7,163,418
  • Supplemental AIP: $15,000,000
  • FY20 AIP: $5,666,667 (includes $566,667 in CARES Act local match)
  • CARES: $8,413,011
  • Omnibus (Dec 12/20): $2.993M
  • ARP (3/21): $4.827M

In total, Louisiana airports received $17,539,301 in AIP funding:

  • Alexandria International = $3,333,333
  • Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field = $4,286,525
  • Monroe Regional = $8,888,888
  • Lakefront = $1,030,555