ACI-NA praises airport improvement funding in jobs bill
15-Dec-2009 Greg Principato, president of Airports Council International- North America, praised the inclusion of the $500 million for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in the $75 billion jobs bill announced today by House Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). ACI-NA lobbied the Administration and key members of the House for the inclusion of funding for AIP as part of the second jobs bill.
"The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has held a series of hearings on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) which included $1.1 billion for airports. At these hearings, time and time again, airports were singled out for praise for their efficient and expeditious use of this funding on 355 projects. Airports have proven they are not only jobs creators, but serve as economic engines for their local communities as well," Principato said. "We are pleased that as an industry, we have been recognized once again as an integral piece of the nation's transportation infrastructure, and we look forward to putting more Americans to work, while at the same time making needed safety, security and congestion relief improvements at airports across the country."