'We're looking now at a number of things, how to make the terminal less expensive,' said Foley, adding that could include completing construction in phases instead of all at once. Foley isn't sure yet how much it may get.

With the governor's announcement, plus grants from central Iowa cities and counties, and money from the federal infrastructure bill, the airport is about 40% of the way to its goal of closing a $300 million funding gap so it can begin construction.Įxecutive Director Kevin Foley told the Des Moines Register he is thankful for the governor's contribution, but acknowledged there's still a lot more money left to secure. The airport is applying for a competitive grant from a pool of $1 billion that the infrastructure bill set aside for airports its size. More: Iowa to spend $100 million in federal money on water infrastructure Funding helps Des Moines airport, but terminal construction funding gap remainsĭes Moines' airport will receive nearly $59 million from the infrastructure fund, which will go toward building a larger, more efficient terminal to accommodate an anticipated increase in passenger and airline traffic that could soon push the current facility beyond its capacity. Representatives of Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines International Airport said their pandemic recoveries are outpacing the national average. Reynolds' announcement comes as more travelers are returning to the airports, including during this week's school spring break, as the pandemic wanes. In 2019, the state's airports hosted a combined 2.2 million passengers and handled 142 million pounds of cargo. 'I truly believe that Iowa has an incredible opportunity ahead and our investment in Iowa's air transportation system will support our long-term growth and help us realize our potential.' It's about all the incredible things airports make possible for our state: tourism, business growth, economic prosperity and so much more,' Reynolds said. 'This announcement is about more than just airports.

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