Q-F01. How will IIJA AIG funds be allocated/awarded to airport sponsors?
IIJA allocates the $14.55 billion into two programs over 5 years; AIG Allocated and FCT Competitive. AIG Allocated funds are specific, annual allocations to each eligible airport. These amounts are allocated separately for primary and non-primary airports. FCT Competitive funds are awarded annually through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process specifically for FCT improvements.
- AIG Allocated.
- Primary Commercial Service Airports and eligible Cargo Airports share not more than $2.39 billion annually based first on the statutory Airport Improvement Program (AIP) primary and cargo entitlement formulas. For annual AIG allocations to primary airports, IIJA AIG follows AIP in that the allocations are based on the previous calendar year. However, due to the "best of" provision that started with FY22 and will continue into FY24, the FAA uses enplanements from the previous calendar year, or calendar years 2018 or 2019, whichever is highest. . FY 2022 cargo allocations were based on CY 2020.
- Non-Primary Airports share not more than $500 million annually. The apportioned funds for each non-primary airport are based on the categories published in the NPIAS reflecting the percentage of the aggregate published eligible development costs for each such category, and then dividing the allocated funds evenly among the eligible airports in each category, rounding up to the nearest thousand dollars. For example, all airports classified as Local receive the same allocation.
In off NPIAS publication years, FAA will use readily available current data to update categories, which includes airports that are newly opened, closed, change to and from primary to nonprimary, or moved in and out of unclassified status. The new categories will be used as part of the AIG calculations. No updates will be made to development costs or changes in categories other than primary/nonprimary, and unclassified/classified role.
- Primary Commercial Service Airports and eligible Cargo Airports share not more than $2.39 billion annually based first on the statutory Airport Improvement Program (AIP) primary and cargo entitlement formulas. For annual AIG allocations to primary airports, IIJA AIG follows AIP in that the allocations are based on the previous calendar year. However, due to the "best of" provision that started with FY22 and will continue into FY24, the FAA uses enplanements from the previous calendar year, or calendar years 2018 or 2019, whichever is highest. . FY 2022 cargo allocations were based on CY 2020.
- FCT Competitive.
- Sponsors of airports participating in the FCT program under 49 U.S.C. 47124, are eligible to share not more than $20 million annually. Instructions for applying for these funds will be outlined in a NOFO, which will be issued annually until the program expires. Projects will be selected by FAA based on sponsor’s information submitted in response to the criteria as outlined in the NOFO.