Two local airports are getting federal grants for improvement projects at their facilities.
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressman Nicholas Langworthy (R-23rd District) announced the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded more than $2 million to the Elmira Corning Regional Airport and nearly $186,000 to the Corning-Painted Post Airport.
The project at the Elmira Corning Regional Airport involves the acquisition and installation of one new passenger boarding bridge to bring the airport into conformity with current standards. The grant funds the final phase, which consists of construction.
The airport has gotten millions of dollars in FAA grants in recent years for facility upgrades, including a nearly $1.6 million grant in 2025 to complete the reconstruction of the existing terminal building roof.
The grant for the Corning-Painted Post Airport funds expansion of the existing transient aircraft apron by adding 870 square yards to bring the airport into conformity with current standards.
It also rehabilitates 16,350 square yards of existing transient aircraft apron pavement to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris. This grant funds Phase I, which consists of design.
“Keeping our airports in top-notch shape is crucial to attracting business and tourism to Upstate New York. I’m proud to deliver $63-plus million in federal funding to help our airports, from big cities like Buffalo to rural communities like Malone, invest in key safety upgrades and modernization efforts,” said Senator Schumer. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law is continuing to help improvements at New York’s airports take off. I’ll always continue to fight to deliver federal resources to help our local economies reach new heights.”
Last year, the FAA awarded more than $700,000 to the Town of Erwin Industrial Development Agency for runway rehabilitation at the Corning-Painted Post airport.
“Our regional airports are critical to commerce and emergency response as well as recreational travel, and it’s vital that we make the necessary investments to keep them operating safely and efficiently,” Rep. Langworthy said. “As chairman of the House Aviation Safety Caucus, I will always fight to bring these resources home to our smaller rural airports.”
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira, Corning area airports land over $2 million in federal FAA grants
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
