Duckworth Announces Over $3.4 Million in Funding She Secured for Illinois Airports

Duckworth Announces Over $3.4 Million in Funding She Secured for Illinois Airports

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced $3,427,500 she secured through a Fiscal Year 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending Request will be sent by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to the Southern Illinois Airport Authority and the Joliet Regional Port District to help improve airport infrastructure, accommodate more passengers and make travelling easier for passengers.

"Our state and our nation are stronger when we invest in our communities and families-and that's one of the things Congressionally Directed Spending allows us to do," said Duckworth. "At a time when the Trump Administration has continued to revoke so much critical funding across the country, I was proud to secure this federal funding for our state. I will keep working to advocate for federal investments that will make our skies safer, make travelling easier, modernize our airport infrastructure and support economic development across Illinois."

As a part of this federal investment, Southern Illinois Airport Authority in Carbondale will receive $2,100,000 to support the extension of the South Aircraft Ramp. Joliet Regional Port District in Romeoville will receive $1,327,500 for expansion of the aircraft staging and operating area to support their growing pilot flight training schools.

In FY22, Duckworth and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) secured $211 million through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) for Illinois as well as another $182 million for Illinois in FY23 and over $46 million in FY24. A map detailing where funding has gone throughout Illinois can be found here. The CDS process enables Members of Congress to allocate existing funding for specific local projects by units of government, nonprofit organizations and other organizations that meet strict eligibility requirements. Senator Duckworth worked with an Independent Review Board to examine and evaluate worthwhile projects focused on building infrastructure, stimulating economic development and providing essential services for Illinois communities.

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