The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration on April 1 opened a $269 million funding opportunity under its Airport Improvement Program. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) infrastructure projects are among those eligible for the funding. 

The Airport Improvement Program is a grant program that funds airport infrastructure projects, including those related to runways, taxiways, airport signage, airport lighting and airport markings. In its April 1 notice, the FAA is announcing the opportunity to apply for approximately $269 million in fiscal year (FY) supplemental discretionary grants. Nearly $236 million of those funds will be made available to medium and large hub airports, with $33 million available to small hub, nonhub and nonprimary airports. The FAA expects to make at least 50 awards through the current notice of funding opportunity (NOFO). Priority project categories under the April 1 NOFO include SAF, airfield operational resiliency, and emissions and energy improvements. 

Regarding SAF, the NOFO indicates FAA may make grants to primary airports for airport-owned infrastructure required for the on-airport distribution, blending or storage of SAF that achieves at least a 50% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Projects may include, but are not limited to, on-airport construction or expansion of pipelines, rail lines and spurs, loading and off-loading facilities, blending facilities and storage tanks. 

According to the NOFO, application for SAF proposals should clearly describe how the project will support the implementation of SAF for distribution into aircraft at the airport, including the absolute capacity of the facility in gallons to deliver SAF into-plane and how the scope of the proposed facility is reasonably consistent with the potential and operable market for SAF at the airport. 

Applications for the funding can be filed through May 2.

A full copy of the NOFO is available on the Federal Register website.