A rendering of the new landside terminal under construction at Pittsburgh International Airport (Photo courtesy Gensler + HDR/ Allegheny County Airport Authority)
Three Pennsylvania airports are among those included in a new round of federal funding from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.
U.S. Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-2nd District), Dwight Evans (D-3rd District), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-5th District) announced that Philadelphia International Airport is receiving $27.5 million in additional funding. U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-17th District) and Summer Lee (D-12th District) announced that Pittsburgh International Airport is receiving $6 million in additional funding, while Harrisburg International Airport will receive $3.1 million.
“It is tremendous news that our Philadelphia International Airport will be receiving $27.5 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help with important HVAC and energy efficiency projects,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement.
“Improving the passenger experience in our airports is critical to keeping our Commonwealth moving. This grant from the infrastructure law will help modernize Harrisburg International Airport by replacing escalators and renovating bathrooms throughout the terminal,” Casey said in a statement.
The funding announced on Tuesday comes from the Airport Terminal Program (ATP), which was created by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to revitalize airports across the U.S.
Since 2021, Philadelphia’s International Airport has received just under $375 million in the federal funding, Pittsburgh’s International Airport has received just under $130 million, and just over $63 million has gone towards Harrisburg International Airport, including an announcement made in February 2024.
Previous funding for Pittsburgh International Airport has gone towards ongoing terminal improvement projects, including its new landside terminal construction. The funding already received by Harrisburg’s airport has gone towards improving passenger safety by replacing jet bridges.
The $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law by President Joe Biden in Nov. 2021. Casey voted for the legislation, while then-U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) voted against it, saying the proposal was “too expensive, too expansive, and too unpaid for.”