Colorado Aeronautical Board approves $6 Million in airport funding

WATKINS – The Colorado Aeronautical Board has approved the Fiscal Year 2020 state and locally-funded discretionary aviation grants for Colorado airports.  A distribution of $6 million in state aviation fuel tax revenues will be made to 21 Colorado public-use airports under the Colorado Discretionary Aviation Grant Program administered by the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics.

Grants range in size from $40,000 to $600,000.  These grants represent state participation in a wide variety of projects, totaling $7.25 million. This year’s awards were categorized into to five different project types: pavement maintenance, fuel farms, automated weather observing systems (AWOS), utility infrastructure, and airfield pavement remarking.

“The Colorado Division of Aeronautics is committed to supporting Colorado’s multi-modal transportation system by assisting Colorado’s airports through the funding of critical projects. This program allows us to continue to advance a safe, efficient and effective statewide air and space system,” said Aeronautics Division Director David Ulane.

“The Colorado Aeronautical Board is pleased to approve these critical airport grants that continue to raise the bar of our state’s aviation and airport infrastructure,” said CAB Chairman Robert Olislagers. “The collaboration between the CAB and the Division staff is first-class, allowing us to strategically direct airport funding where it’s needed most.”

Legislation was created 1991 to develop and maintain the Colorado Aviation System through taxes collected on aviation fuel sold within the state.  No general funds are used to meet the needs of the Colorado Aviation System and it is funded solely through taxes collected by those actually using the aviation system.

The Colorado Airport System consists of 74 public-use airports that support nearly 346,000 jobs, provide $16.2 billion in annual payroll, $27 billion in value-added, and $48.6 billion in total annual business revenue for the State of Colorado.

More information can be found at Colorado-Aeronautics.org.

Under the Direction of the Colorado Aeronautical Board, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics supports Colorado's multi-modal transportation system by advancing a safe, efficient, and effective statewide air and space system through collaboration, investment and advocacy. In partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, 74 public-use airports and a diverse group of aviation system users, the Division also works to promote aviation safety and education through the efficient administration of the Colorado Aviation Fund.  For more information, check us out on YouTube, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.