Transportation Awards $2 Million Grant to Cyril E. King Airport

Passengers queue up in the Cyril E. King Airport (V.I. Port Authority file photo)
Passengers queue up in the Cyril E. King Airport (V.I. Port Authority file photo)

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will award $2 million in airport infrastructure grants to Cyril E. King Airport in the U.S. Virgin Islands. With this announcement, the Trump Administration has invested a historic $10.8 billion in more than two thousand American airports across the United States for safety and infrastructure improvements since January 2017, according to a release issued by the USDOT.

“The robust economy is enabling more passengers to travel by air, so this Administration is investing billions of dollars in America’s airports, which will address safer airport operations, fewer airport delays and greater ease of travel for air travelers,” said Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Today, the secretary Chao said that Cyril E. King Airport will receive $2 million of Airport Improvement Program grants to rehabilitate the terminal building. This is part of a $485 million federal investment in America’s airports that Chao announced today.

The administration not only supports infrastructure through funding – it is making it possible to deliver these much-needed improvements more quickly. The department is working hard to streamline the approval process, cut unnecessary red tape and reduce unnecessary, duplicative regulations that do not contribute to safety.

These investments and reforms are especially timely because the U.S. economy is robust, growing by 2.8 percent in the first half of 2019.

Aviation is an important part of that growth. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. civil aviation supports more than 5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, $1.6 trillion in economic activity and nearly 11 million jobs.