Tester Announces More than $1.5 Million for Great Falls International Airport

Grant to improve safety will help #ConnectMT

(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester has secured more than $1.5 million in federal funding to help the Great Falls International Airport make needed repairs to its runway and improve air travel safety.

The $1,640,877 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and comes on the heels of a $3 million grant Tester secured for the airport in 2017.

“In a state as big as Montana, air travel is critical to keeping folks connected and this grant will make air travel in and out of Great Falls quicker, safer, and more reliable than ever,” Tester said. “Whether it’s by increasing tourism, facilitating business, or helping families and friends stay connected, our airports make our way of life possible.”

As a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Tester worked hard to reauthorize the Airport Improvement Program through last year’s FAA Reauthorization Act. And then, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester secured an additional $500 million in funding for the Airport Improvement Program in the 2019 budget bill.

“This grant money is really beneficial for the airport and will be used for runway maintenance,” said Great Falls International Airport Director John Faulkner. “We’re really thankful to get the dollars we need to maintain the runway and thankful to have a supportive delegation that help put this together, as well as the FAA for supporting this project.”

Tester’s #ConnectMT initiative seeks to connect folks across Big Sky Country-both online and in person-by investing in Montana’s physical and digital infrastructure. Tester helped secure more than $20 million in AIP grants for Montana’s airports last year and has already secured more than $30 million in AIP funding this year. He also recently secured Essential Air Service funding in the February budget bill and he is pushing members on both sides of the aisle to pass a comprehensive infrastructure package to repair roads, invest in air travel, and improve access to broadband in Montana.