The $25 billion comes directly from the U.S. Treasury’s General Fund.

Yes. Five billion dollars is being administered by ATO for improvements to FAA- owned facilities. ARP will administer approximately $20 billion of IIJA funds to airport sponsors. The $20 billion is allocated over 5 years ($4 billion annually). Of the $20 billion, FAA will receive up to $118 million annually for administration of IIJA funds and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) receives $2 million annually for oversight of IIJA funds.

(1)    Airport Infrastructure Grants (AIG) include formula allocations (AIG Allocated) and competitive (FAA Contract Tower Competitive) funds of up to $14.55 billion.

a)    Primary Airports share not more than $2.39 billion annually based enplanement and cargo volume.

b)    Non-Primary Airports share not more than $500 million annually, based on airport classification in the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (NPIAS) and the aggregated NPIAS eligible development cost for each classification.

c)    AIG provides $20 million annually in competitive grants (FAA Contract Tower Competitive) for sponsor owned contract towers participating in the Federal contract tower program and the contract tower cost share program (FCT). These funds are available to: construct, repair, improve, rehabilitate, modernize, replace, or relocate an airport control tower; acquire and install air traffic control, communications, and related equipment in an airport control tower; and construct a remote tower certified by the FAA including acquisition and installation of air traffic control, communications, or related equipment. (To date there is no FAA-certified remote tower technology.)

(2)    Approximately $4.85 billion ($970 million annually) for competitive Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grants including multi-modal terminal development and on-airport rail access projects. These funds can also be used for projects for relocating, reconstructing, repairing, or improving an airport-owned air traffic control tower (ATCT), whether staffed by FAA or in the FCT program.

AIG Formula Infrastructure Allocations (AIG Allocated): Funds are available to sponsors of airports as defined in 47102 of title 49, United States Code (U.S.C.); that is, airport sponsors meeting statutory and policy requirements under this section and identified in the FAA’s published National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems  (NPIAS), updated with current year data, and are eligible to receive discretionary funds per 49 U.S.C. 47115.

FAA Contract Tower Competitive Infrastructure Funds (FCT Competitive): Funds are available to sponsors of airports eligible to receive discretionary funds per 49 U.S.C. 47115 and participating in the FCT program under 49 U.S.C. 47124.

ATP: Funds are available to sponsors of airports eligible to receive discretionary funds per 49 U.S.C. 47115.
 

All airports in the NPIAS, except unclassified airports, are eligible. Unclassified airports are not eligible for discretionary funding under IIJA.

AIG Allocated: Yes, but they do not receive an allocation. Only sponsors of airports in categories defined in 49 U.S.C. 47102 receive allocations. Airports must be included in the NPIAS to receive an allocation of AIG funds. Airports in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Midway Island are not included in the NPIAS. While these airport sponsors may be eligible for some AIP discretionary funding under 49 U.S.C. 47115, they are not eligible for AIG Allocated funds under IIJA.

FCT Competitive: Yes. Funds are available to sponsors of airports eligible to receive discretionary funds per 49 U.S.C. 47115 and participating in the FCT program under 49 U.S.C. 47124. Airports in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Midway Island are eligible for discretionary funds. These sponsors could compete for FCT Competitive funding if they are accepted into the FCT program.

ATP: Yes. Funds are available to sponsors of airports eligible to receive discretionary funds per 49 U.S.C. 47115. Airports in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and Midway Island are eligible for discretionary funds.
 

Yes. Funds are available to sponsors of airports in categories defined in 49 U.S.C. 47102 and identified in the FAA’s published NPIAS, updated with current year data, and are eligible to receive discretionary funds per 49 U.S.C. 47115. Airports in U.S. territories (American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam) meet these requirements. They receive AIG Allocation funds based on their information in the NPIAS, can compete for FCT Competitive funds if in the FTC program, and can compete for ATP funds.
 

Unclassified airports are not eligible for discretionary funds under IIJA (see Q-5). Also, consistent with their role in the national airport system, unclassified airports have no development needs identified in the published NPIAS, updated with current year data.

Approximately $2.91 billion (approximately $2.89 billion of AIG Allocated funds and $20 million FCT Competitive funds) is available annually starting fiscal year (FY) 2022 through FY 2026. Funds not obligated at the end of the fourth FY will be recovered and made available for competitive grants in the fifth year. See Q-F3.

*Applications for grant should be submitted by June to meet the September 30 obligation date. 

Approximately $970 million of ATP funds are available annually starting FY 2022 through FY 2026. Funds not obligated at the end of the fifth FY will expire.
See Q-F4.

AIG Allocated:  Follow AIP process including projects in the CIP, submittal of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance and other documents as required by FAA Airports Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 6.00 and the local ADO or RO. 
    
FCT Competitive:  For projects selected through the competitive process under the annual NOFO, follow AIP process including projects in the CIP, submittal of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance and other documents as required by FAA Airports SOP 6.00 and the local ADO or RO.
    
ATP:  For projects selected through the competitive process under the annual NOFO, follow AIP process including projects in the CIP, submittal of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance and other documents as required by FAA Airports SOP 6.00 and the local ADO or RO.
 

No. Separate applications are required for each fund type.  

FAA will use the existing U.S. Department of Transportation Delphi eInvoicing system for payment requests, following FAA’s payment policy.

ADOs will use AIP closeout process per FAA Airports SOP 10.00.  After the grant is closed, it remains subject to audit. The airport sponsor must retain grant documentation for three years after the grant is closed as required by 2 CFR 200.334.

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.

1. 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.
      
2. 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.

Sponsors of primary and non-primary airports eligible for discretionary funding under 49 U.S.C. 47115(a) are eligible to share approximately $970 million annually. Not more than 55% of these funds go to large hub airports, not more than 15% go to medium hub airports, not more than 20% go to small hub airports, and not less than 10% go to non-hub and non-primary airports. 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.

Funds not obligated at the end of the fourth fiscal year will be recovered and made available for competitive grants in the fifth year. Up to $100 million of these recovered funds will first be provided for competitive grants for FCTs. Any remaining funds will be available for competitive grants for eligible work that reduces airport emissions, reduces noise impact to the surrounding community, reduces dependence on the electrical grid, or provides general benefits to the surrounding community. Instructions for applying for these recovered funds will be outlined in a NOFO, which will be issued annually so the recovered funds are assigned to the competitive projects beginning in FY 2026 (October 1, 2025) through FY 2030 (September 30, 2030). Projects will be selected by FAA, based on sponsor’s information submitted as outlined in the NOFO. Funds recovered after the fifth year will return to the General Fund.

Funds not obligated at the end of the fifth fiscal year will expire. ATP funds recovered prior to the end of the fifth fiscal year can be used to amend open ATP grants or made available for new ATP grants based on a competitive process. At the end of the fifth fiscal year, any unobligated or recovered funds will return to the General Fund.

AIG Allocated: The Federal share is the same as for AIP grants, ranging from 50% to 95%, as outlined in 49 U.S.C. 47109. (For further explanation of the statutory provision see Section 4-9 of FAA Order 5100.38D, Change 1 (AIP Handbook)). This includes grants made using unobligated AIG funds for projects not related to FCTs.
See Q-F3.

FCT Competitive: The Federal share for FCT improvements is 100%. This includes grants made using unobligated AIG funds for FCT projects. See Q-F3.

ATP: The Federal share for terminal and sponsor owned ATCT improvements is 80% for large and medium hub airports and 95% for small hub, non-hub, and non- primary airports.
 

AIG Allocated: Yes. The sponsor’s match is the same as for sponsor’s AIP grants, ranging from 5% to 50%. This includes grants made using unobligated AIG funds for projects not related to FCT. See Q-F3.

FCT Competitive: No. The Federal share for FCT improvements is 100%. This includes grants made using unobligated AIG funds for FCT projects. See Q-F3.

ATP: Yes. The sponsor’s match is 20% for large and medium hub airports and 5% for small hub, non-hub, and non-primary airports.
 

No. IIJA does not require an annual appropriation. The funding is appropriated and will be available at the beginning of each FY.