WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton—along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman—announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded over $1.4 million in federal grants to airports and airfields in Arkansas to off-set 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.

“This investment in Arkansas airports will support practices that safeguard passengers from the spread of COVID-19. Creating opportunities to safely move people and goods will continue to be important for our economic recovery and to help maintain these vital services the aviation industry provides,” members said.

The following awardees are recipients of CRRSA funding:

• Fort Smith Regional Airport

  • $1,267,320 to the Fort Smith Airport Commission

    • 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.
      

• Springdale Municipal Airport (Washington County)

  • $57,162 to the City of Springdale
    

• Conway Regional Airport (Faulkner County)

  • $23,000 to the City of Conway

• Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport (Polk County)

  • $13,000 to the City of Mena

• Dexter B Florence Memorial Field (Clark County)

  • $13,000 to the City of Arkadelphia
    

• Carroll County Airport (Carroll County)

  • $13,000 to Carroll County

• Almyra Municipal Airport (Arkansas County)

  • $9,000 to the City of Almyra
    

• Z M Jack Stell Field Airport (Ashley County)

• $9,000 to the City of Crossett
  

• J Lynn Helms Sevier County Airport (Sevier County)

  • $9,000 to Sevier County
    

• Lake Village Municipal (Chicot County)

  • $9,000 to the City of Lake Village

Members have previously announced DOT CRRSA awards totaling than $9 million for state airports. 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.