WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced that the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) has been awarded $9.2 million in federal funding to advance the next phase of constructing a new cargo facility and aircraft parking apron at T.F. Green International Airport.

This federal U.S. Department of Transportation grant, totaling $9,212,959, will be administered through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

The federal funding will be used for the fourth phase of the South Cargo Project to construct 5,800 square yards of a new cargo apron.  Once completed, the project will add 60,000 square yards of new cargo apron space, enabling greater volumes of cargo to be processed through the airport, bolstering economic activity, and increasing efficiency for cargo tenants.

“Our airports are engines of economic growth. I’m pleased to work with my colleagues to help land this grant for RIAC to improve and expand T.F. Green Airport’s cargo operations to better serve tenants and drive Rhode Island’s economy forward,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

“T.F. Green International is already one of the most convenient airports in the country for travelers, and we want to make it more commerce-friendly as well,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “This federal funding will support an expansion of the cargo facility and increased economic activity in Rhode Island.”

“T.F. Green airport is more than a convenient airport for passengers, it is also a hub for commerce,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “This federal funding will help enhance T.F. Green’s cargo operation, creating jobs and expanding the local economy.”

“T.F. Green Airport is a key pillar of trade and commerce in Rhode Island,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “Today’s federal investment will grow its capacity for cargo operations as it helps our local economy soar to new heights — ensuring reliable, efficient, and safe service for all who depend on it.”

“The Rhode Island Airport Corporation and its Board of Directors are extremely grateful to Senator Jack Reed and all in our Congressional Delegation for their tireless work to secure these funds on behalf of our state,” said Iftikhar Ahmad, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.  “Their tireless work to fund critical airport infrastructure investments is essential to help the state’s economy thrive.”

The South Cargo project will relocate cargo operations from the 80-year-old airport hangar on north side of the runways to the south side of the airfield. According to RIAC, the new cargo development will provide improved facilities to handle both current and projected shipments as well as providing an aircraft parking apron directly adjacent to the cargo building.

Under FAA guidelines, AIP awards may cover up to 90 percent of the cost of AIP projects, with the rest coming from state or local funds.

RIAC is a quasi-public corporation empowered to undertake the planning, development, management, acquisition, ownership, operations, repair, construction, improvement, maintenance, sale, lease, or other disposition of Rhode Island Airports: Rhode Island T.F. Green Airport, Warwick; North Central Airport, Smithfield; Quonset Airport, North Kingstown; Westerly Airport, Westerly; Newport Airport, Middletown; Block Island Airport, Block Island.

The federal funds will flow to Rhode Island through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Biden in November 2021.  This bill will direct an estimated $45 million to Rhode Island airports over five years.

Earlier this year, the Rhode Island congressional delegation helped pass the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63), which included a $600 million annual boost for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), lifting AIP investments from $3.4 billion to $4 billion annually.