Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded the North Carolina Division of Aviation a state block grant of $8.41 million on July 17, 2026, under the Airport Infrastructure Grants program (CFDA 20.117) to administer and distribute federal funding for airport improvement projects to nonprimary airports throughout North Carolina. The award, with a performance period extending through July 16, 2030, enables the Division to provide sub-awards to counties, municipalities, and airport authorities for a comprehensive range of infrastructure improvements including runway and taxilane rehabilitation and construction, apron reconstruction and expansion, terminal construction and parking lot rehabilitation, hangar construction and expansion, runway visual guidance system reconstruction, runway lighting rehabilitation, taxiway improvements, obstruction marking and removal, and land acquisition for airport development.

As a pass-through grant administrator, the Division of Aviation distributes these federal funds to local airport entities to support critical capital infrastructure projects across the state's nonprimary airport system. The program is part of the broader Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding stream, which allocates $14.5 billion nationally over five years for airport infrastructure improvements. The Division's administrative role includes obligating funds, managing sub-awardee compliance with FAA requirements, and ensuring timely project completion and closeout while maintaining environmental assessment standards and federal reporting protocols.