The Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport has been awarded more than $1.5 million as part of $4.4 million in COVID-19 Federal Aviation Administration grants to airports in the state’s 34th congressional district.
Airport Director Brownsville Bryant Walker said the money is much appreciated since it will help ease the financial burden on the city caused by a slump in airport revenues due to the pandemic.
The office of U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela Jr., who represents District 34, announced Friday that seven airports would receive the FAA funding. The other recipients are Harlingen’s Valley International Airport ($2.8 million), Beeville Municipal Airport ($9,000), Kenedy Regional Airport ($9,000), Kleberg County Airport ($9,000), Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport ($13,000) and Weslaco Mid-Valley Airport ($13,000).
The FAA money is part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, and provides nearly $2 billion in federal grants to support airports affected by COVID-19.
Vela noted that airports have suffered “substantial revenue losses” for almost a year due to the ongoing pandemic.
“It is important that they receive this much needed assistance to ease the financial burden they have endured,” he said. “These funds will also provide the resources needed for travelers to have a safe and sanitary experience when traveling. I will continue working with federal and local entities in order to ensure airports receive the necessary support they need throughout this public health crisis.”
Brownsville’s new $43.8 million, 91,000-square-foot terminal building welcomed its first passengers on Jan. 19. Walker said the grant is intended to make up for pandemic-related revenue loss.
“We’re looking at programming those funds right now,” he said. “They will be a massive asset to the airport, but more to the city, because at this point the airport did not do as well this past year as it has in previous years. This funding is critical to the sustainability of the airport. If the airport had to rely solely on the city it would just be an additional burden on the city. This helps the city has much as it helps the airport.”
Providing an update on the status of the new terminal’s operations, Walker said the facility has been operating for over a month now and the old terminal has been completely demolished.
“Now they’re starting to do the grading and earth work to prep it for concrete pourers and constructing the ramp,” he said. “There is still some debris left from the old terminal that they’re clearing right now.”
Walker said the next step will be to get the new jet bridges installed and commissioned.
“We’re on track still for final project completion I would say the end of May at the latest,” he said. “That’s if we don’t run into any issues, which so far knock on wood we’ve been able to avoid.”
As for food and retail components, the airport is now in design phase with a concessionaire, Walker said.
“We should have that designed and bid out within the next two weeks or so, and we should have the concession operating probably within a month and a half, two months,” he said. “By the end of the May we should be putting a bow on this and just go right into maintenance and operations and be completely done with construction.”
