Hope Airport DOT Grant

By Dale Gathright, Jr., 03/27/21 1:36 PM

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Bruce Westerman and Steve Womack—announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded over $1.4 million in federal grants to airports and airfields in Arkansas to offset costs and maintain jobs as a result of COVID-19 as well as provide for increased sanitization to combat the spread of pathogens at these facilities.

The DOT, through the Federal Aviation Administration, is distributing the funds appropriated through the Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which passed with the support of the entire Arkansas Congressional Delegation in December 2020.

“Our local airports connect our communities, residents and businesses. These grants will ensure operations continue to run smoothly and help provide a safe environment for travelers and personnel. As we turn the corner on the pandemic, we look forward to seeing travel steadily increase,” members said.

The following awardees are recipients of CRRSA funding:

• Hope Municipal (Hempstead County)
• $13,000 to the City of Hope

• Texarkana Regional-Webb Field (Miller County)
• $1,020,766 to the Texarkana Airport Authority

Including an additional CRRSA concessions grant to provide economic relief from rent and minimum annual guarantees to on-airport car rental, on-airport parking and in-terminal concessions.

In recent weeks, members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation have announced more than $10 million in CRRSA funding awarded to state airports and airfields by the DOT. CRRSA was signed into law by former President Donald Trump on December 27, 2020. The deadline to apply for the program’s grants is June 30, 2021.