FAA awards Port Authority $6.1 Million

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded a grant totaling more than $6.1 million to the Lee County Port Authority for the construction of a new aircraft parking apron that will ultimately serve a new terminal building at Page Field General Aviation Airport.

Airports rely on grant dollars, which are awarded through a nationwide priority system, to provide needed infrastructure and improvements. The competition for these limited dollars is fierce, with priority given to projects with the ability to increase airport capacity on a national level.

"Securing federal grant dollars for a smaller general aviation airport is incredibly difficult," said Robert M. Ball, executive director of the Lee County Port Authority. "We appreciate the FAA's recognition of Page Field's role as an essential component of the air transportation infrastructure for southwest Florida. These funds, which are vital to the planned improvements at Page Field, will permit us to meet the needs of the general aviation community now and well into the future."

The total project budget for the apron improvements is $7.3 million. The Lee County Port Authority has been able to secure funding for more than 97 percent of all costs associated with this project through grants from the FAA and Florida Department of Transportation.

For more information, visit the airport's Web site at www.flylcpa.com