LUFKIN, Texas (KTRE) – The Angelina County Airport has received eight grants this past year, totaling $1.7 million.
Although the airport was open to passengers, the pandemic took a toll on business, according to the airport’s manager.
The extra money has helped out in more ways than one.
“We have received a couple, and we’ve got six in the works that we’re going to receive,” said Gary Letney, the manager at Angelina County Airport.
Letney said he has plans for the $1.7 million.
“We have a fence project that is going on right now. Last year, it was in the engineering phase, and they paid our 10-percent share of that engineering fee, and it was a part of the CARES Act, also,” Letney explained.
In regard to the perimeter fencing project. Letney said the government will pay for 90 percent of that through the airport improvement program.
“That is another one of our grants the airport rescue plan that they just signed the $1.9 trillion that everyone knows about that will pay our 10 percent,” Letney added. “That’s for fixing your airside asphalt, your lighting system, the beacon that shines at night. Anything like that, those are put on airport improvement grants.”
As a regional airport, they have received two grants from the CARES Act, two from AIP, two grants from the airport rescue plan, and two from C.R.S.S.A. last fall, Letney said.
Last year, the airport received $40,000 from the ramp grant. Letney said this year, they will get $50,000 instead.
“Those are for just the regular airport routine maintenance such as care of hangers, taking care of your terminals, asphalt, and spraying grass of your runways and taxiways,” Letney said.
Although business took a hit, Letney said the airport is in good standing.
“So, we are trying to build one this year because we have had a lot of folks come in wanting to build hangers, but we don’t have a taxiway to build them on. So, we are going to try to build one ourselves,” Letney said.
Letney said he hopes to build a taxiway this year with local grant money from the economic board. He said it will take time and he hopes to have it in the works by 2023.