Thursday, U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell, D-Selma, announced today $21,549,052 in funding for airports throughout Alabama’s 7th Congressional District, as part of the funding allocated by the CARES Act.
“While we must continue to prioritize health care and safety initiatives to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we must also do everything possible to mitigate the economic devastation caused by these necessary health care restrictions,” said Rep. Sewell. “Our airports are vital to our local economies, and while I continue to strongly encourage every Alabamian across the 7th Congressional District to stay home and avoid travel, I am equally committed to ensuring the stability of our airports.”
The CARES Act is Congress’s third COVID-19 response bill. In addition to the popular Payroll Protection Program for businesses, the personal checks for $1,600, funds for hospitals, and a fund for cities and states it also allocated $10 billion to airports across the country. The money comes with no local match required, to help mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (Birmingham, AL) will receive the majority of the funding, $18,745,394, with additional funds going to: Montgomery Regional Airport, Dannelly Field in Montgomery; the Tuscaloosa National Airport; the Demopolis Regional Airport; the Craig Field Regional Airport in Selma; and the Vaiden Field Airport in Marion.
“We are very grateful for our local congressional delegation and applaud their work with the federal government in supporting the aviation industry, its workforce and the operations at our airport during this global crisis,” said Ronald F. Mathieu, President & CEO of Birmingham Airport Authority. “Airports exist to be economic engines to the regions they serve. We are most thankful for all of the support received that allows us to continue serving our community while also protecting the jobs of our employees and the many contractors and subcontractors and their families.”
“On behalf of the airport authority and board of directors, we truly appreciate Congresswoman Sewell going to bat for the airports,” said Marshall Taggart, Executive Director, Montgomery Regional Airport. “Congresswoman Sewell parks at our airport and she flies in and out of our airport, so we consider ourselves her hometown airport, and she treats us that way. Like other airports, we’ve been profoundly affected by COVID-19. There is a significant strain on our ability to pay payroll and other necessary functions, however, these resources and funding mean we will be able to sustain and maintain operations for the time being. We are incredibly grateful for the partnership in ensuring our continued functionality.”
Under the Airport CARES ACT grant recipients in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District include: the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Jefferson County $18,745,394; the Montgomery Regional Airport, Dannelly Field in Montgomery County $2,576,658; Tuscaloosa National Airport in Tuscaloosa County $157,000; the Demopolis Regional Airport in Marengo County $30,000; Craig Field Regional Airport in Dallas County $20,000; Vaiden Field Airport in Perry County $20,000.
Congress is currently in negotiations with the Trump Administration on a proposed fourth coronavirus relief package as the national forced economic shutdown grinds into its sixth week.
Congresswoman Terri Sewell represents Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. Sewell is in her fifth term in Congress and is virtually assured of being re-elected to her sixth as no Republican qualified to challenge Sewell in the November general election.
