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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced on Monday, September 14, 2026, that the Federal Aviation Administration will deliver $1.1 billion in airport improvement grants across the country, funding 280 projects in 46 states and three territories through the Airport Improvement Program, according to an FAA news release issued in Washington, D.C.
Travelers planning fall trips should check whether their airport is on the project list, because runway and terminal construction can move gates, close checkpoints, or slow connections, and readers who follow airport funding can compare this round with the August grants round covering Dallas and Los Angeles.
- Announcement: $1.1 billion across 280 Airport Improvement Program grants in 46 states and three territories, announced September 14, 2026.
- Biggest named project: $30.7 million for runway reconstruction at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
- Safety technology: $10.9 million to fit 3,000 airport vehicles with movement-area transmitters at 61 airports.
- Terminals and towers: $18.9 million for Shreveport, $2 million for McAllen, $11.5 million for a Mankato tower, and $43 million for noise work at 12 airports.
Where The Highlighted Money Goes
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport receives $30.7 million for runway reconstruction, the largest single airport award the FAA named in the September 14 announcement. Runway work at an airport of that size can ripple into gate changes and taxi delays, so Atlanta travelers should watch airport construction notices this fall, alongside Atlanta airport options for regional trips.
Shreveport Regional Airport in Louisiana gets $18.9 million for terminal expansion, while McAllen International Airport in Texas receives $2 million for its own terminal project covering baggage claim, restrooms, nursing stations, and ticketing counters. Mankato Regional Airport in Minnesota gains $11.5 million for a new contract tower, and 12 airports share $43 million for noise mitigation work. Secretary Duffy said the package keeps delivering on a promise that “we are upgrading airport infrastructure, enhancing safety on our runways, and expanding family-friendly features in terminals across the country.”
The six highlighted awards add to $117 million, leaving most of the $1.1 billion spread across the remaining grants in the 280 award package. The FAA paired the announcement with a data visualization of every funded airport, also mirrored by EIN Presswire. Funding watchers can set this round against the 339 grant August round across 44 states.
Runway Transmitters And Safety
The most novel line item equips 3,000 airport vehicles with vehicle movement area transmitters, or VMATs, at 61 airports for $10.9 million, so controllers can track maintenance trucks and other vehicles on runways and taxiways. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the transmitters “provide our air traffic controllers with greater situational awareness of aircraft and vehicles moving on the airport surface” across an increasingly complex national airspace system.
Separately, the FAA said it received $16.5 million under the Working Families Tax Cut Act to fit its own airport vehicles with the same transmitters, crediting President Trump and congressional Republicans for the law’s passage. Airports may also spend Airport Improvement Program money on runways, taxiways, signage, lighting, markings, and other safety infrastructure, the agency said.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Connect through Atlanta this fall | Check airport construction notices before leaving and allow extra time for gate or taxi changes during the $30.7 million runway project. |
| Use Shreveport or McAllen airports | Expect terminal construction; McAllen’s new baggage claim, restrooms, nursing stations, and ticket counters arrive when its $2 million expansion opens. |
| Worry about runway safety | Take no action: the $10.9 million transmitter rollout at 61 airports is designed to improve controller visibility of ground vehicles. |
| Track airport funding rounds | Compare this 280 grant September round with the August rounds to see which airports appear repeatedly. |
Fall 2026 travel is the first gate. Check departure and connection airports for construction advisories before booking or leaving for the airport.
Terminal opening announcements are the next gate. Recheck Shreveport and McAllen amenities after officials confirm the expansions are complete.
Transmitter deployment at 61 airports is the third gate. No traveler action is required; the safety benefit arrives as airports install the devices.
How big is the new FAA airport funding package?
The FAA announced $1.1 billion across 280 Airport Improvement Program grants reaching airports in 46 states and three territories on September 14, 2026.
Which airports did the FAA name in the announcement?
Atlanta gets $30.7 million for runway reconstruction, Shreveport gets $18.9 million for terminal expansion, McAllen gets $2 million for terminal work, Mankato gets $11.5 million for a new contract tower, and 12 airports share $43 million for noise mitigation.
What are vehicle movement area transmitters?
They are devices fitted to airport vehicles so controllers can track them on runways and taxiways. The package spends $10.9 million to equip 3,000 vehicles at 61 airports, plus $16.5 million for the FAA’s own fleet.
Does this package overlap earlier 2026 airport grants?
No. The FAA presented this as a new September 14 round, separate from August rounds such as the Dallas and Los Angeles awards and the 339 grant package.
