Airport Improvement Program

Book excerpt: The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides federal grants to airports for airport development and planning. The airports participating in the AIP range from very large publicly-owned commercial primary airports to small public use general aviation airports that may be privately-owned. AIP funding is usually limited to construction or improvements related to aircraft operations, typically for planning and construction of projects such as runways, taxiways, aprons, noise abatement, land purchase, and safety, emergency or snow removal equipment. This book discusses the Airport Improvement Program within the broader context of airport capital development finance. After a brief history of federal support for airport construction and improvement, the book describes AIP funding, its source of revenues, funding distribution, and the types of projects the program funds.