Wicker, Hyde-Smith Announce $7.88 Million for Improvements to Local Airports

Miss. Senators Detail Three Grants to Support Air Transportation Upgrades

November 22, 2019

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., today announced the award of $7,878,974 for improvements to three airports in Mississippi. The U.S. Department of Transportation, on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will award the supplemental airport improvement grants for work in Greenville, Hattiesburg, and Oxford.

“Each year the FAA supports local airports in our state by providing much-needed funding to complete important repairs and upgrades,” Wicker said. “These supplemental grants will help Greenville, Hattiesburg, and Oxford to repair pavement to facilitate the safe movement of planes, people, and equipment at their airports.”

“The additional airport improvement funds will allow the municipal airports in Greenville, Hattiesburg, and Oxford to accelerate upgrades that will improve their safety and efficiency,” Hyde-Smith said. “I’m grateful to Secretary Chao for her department’s attention to the needs in Mississippi.”

“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 operations, fewer airport delays, and greater ease of travel for air travelers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

The FAA grants for Mississippi will support the following airport improvement projects:

  • Greenville Mid-Delta Airport, City of Greenville - $4,629,550 to rehabilitate the apron.
  • Bobby L. Chain Municipal Airport, City of Hattiesburg - $2,134,424 to rehabilitate the apron.
  • University-Oxford Airport, City of Oxford - $1,115,000 to rehabilitate the apron.

Each of these airports received initial 2019 airport improvement grants this summer, including $2,375,306 to Greenville for airport drainage, $744,205 to Hattiesburg for apron rehabilitation, and $677,402 to Oxford for runway improvements and an aircraft rescue vehicle.