Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that he has received notice from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) informing him that $1,205,192.00 grant funding has been awarded for the Fitiuta Construct Aircraft Rescue & Fighting Building (Phase V).  This grant award is funded under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

 The Airport Improvement Program was first established by Congress under the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-248).  In essence, P.L. 97-248 authorizes the Secretary of USDOT to give out discretionary grant awards in the form of project grants, block grants, and block grant supplements for eligible recipients to acquire, establish, or improve air navigation facilities.  Funds for these discretionary grant awards are drawn from the Airport and Airways Trust Fund.

To be eligible for AIP, the project application has to demonstrate that the airport for which the funds are to be used meet the following criteria: 1) that the airport is publicly owned, or privately owned, but designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a reliever, or 2) privately owned, but having scheduled commercial service and at least 2,500 annual enplanements, and 3) it must be included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS).

 “I want to thank Congress for continued AIP reauthorization that provides necessary funding especially for smaller airports such as the one in Fitiuta.  Especially given the rising costs of transportation, this program provides necessary capital to enhance smaller airports that have less ready access to private capital markets,” Faleomavaega said.

“I also want to thank the Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary of USDOT, for recognizing the need for airport improvement in American Samoa especially for the Fitiuta Airport.”

“I am pleased that we are taking advantage of available Federal funding programs to improve the transportation services for our people, especially in the remote islands of Manu’a,” Faleomavaega concluded.