Dade County Aviation

Dade County Aviation Finance Division, doing business as Aviation Dept, is a county airport authority operating as a U.S. local government entity that receives federal grants for airport terminal and airfield infrastructure improvements, primarily from the Federal Aviation Administration. The vendor operates Miami International Airport and regional facilities at Opa-locka and Virginia Gardens, all located in the Miami-Dade County area, and is a child entity of Miami-Dade County.

The vendor's federal footprint consists almost entirely of grant work rather than federal procurement contracts. The Federal Aviation Administration Southern Region dominates the customer base, having issued 52 awards under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.106), the Airport Infrastructure Grants program (CFDA 20.117), and the Airport Terminal Program (CFDA 20.118). Recent major grant awards include $97.6 million for taxiway reconfiguration construction (safety mitigation at the M-Q-L1 intersection, September 2025), $70.26 million for terminal expansion Phase 2 gate acquisition and installation (July 2025), $43.75 million for terminal expansion Phase 1 infrastructure (May 2025), $37.5 million for terminal expansion Phase 3 gate construction (August 2026), and $29.2 million for fuel farm expansion Phase 2 construction (August 2026). Earlier awards funded terminal reconstruction at Concourse E-H and Concourse F checkpoint areas, runway and taxiway design and rehabilitation at Opa-locka Airport, terminal people mover system reconstruction, and apron pavement rehabilitation. The Transportation Security Administration issued a $310 thousand purchase order in June 2025 for fiber optic cables and connectors at Miami International Airport (five-year performance period through May 2030). The Drug Enforcement Administration awarded a small utility purchase order valued at $1.7 thousand in November 2025 for cable and internet services.

Awards per year show modest volume: two in 2022, four in 2023, twelve in 2024, ten in 2025, and three in 2026 year-to-date. Combined potential value across all 366 awards stands at $944.3 million, though obligated dollars total $1.35 billion, indicating that many awards carry obligated amounts exceeding their initial potential-value ceiling. Three awards face ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months.

The vendor's capability portfolio centers on airport infrastructure modernization and maintenance — terminal design, construction, and reconstruction; runway and taxiway rehabilitation and safety mitigation; apron pavement work; fuel farm expansion; and people mover system replacement. The work spans design phases, permitting and inspection, and full construction. Notably, the source indicates prior capability in providing communications infrastructure and security solutions, as evidenced by TSA fiber optic procurement and prior federal contracts on airport security infrastructure projects, though these appear marginal to the primary grant-funded terminal and airfield work.