Ask any airport operator if their project list is greater than the money available, and it is a pretty safe bet that the answer would be yes. But what if your airport is eligible for more funding? An airport now only receiving $150,000 may be eligible for up to $1,000,000 in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds. A mechanism exists that could increase your airport’s access to Non-primary Entitlement (NPE) funds.
Perusal of the current National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) shows many general aviation (GA) airports with just a few enplanements to many thousands of enplanements. Where did these come from and why is this important? All airports, regardless of NPIAS classification, are eligible to have revenue passenger enplanement data counted and logged in FAA records. The FAA then uses collected data to allocate AIP funds, including NPE funds, to eligible airports. Data collected in a given year informs funding two years out. Then airports can direct these NPE funds to any AIP-eligible project—from constructing a wash rack to general aviation terminal construction, and everything in between.
Only two criteria
The FAA considers two main components for GA airports to be eligible for $1 million in NPE funds. They must:
- Have over 10,000 passenger boardings
- Receive large, certificated air carrier service
Large, certificated air carrier service simply means an operator certified to operate under 14 CFR Part 241 operated at your airport in the prior year. Many on demand operators fit this category using smaller aircraft such as businesses jets and turbo props that are common at GA airports.
Collect the data
The key is collecting the data, which hinges on support from Part 135 on-demand aircraft operators at your airport. The FAA solicits the data through annual surveys in which participation is voluntary. Sometimes the on-demand operators are not inclined to provide data voluntarily to anyone. This can be for a variety of reasons. Maybe the paperwork is unappealing. Maybe they are guarded about how much data they like to share. Maybe the projects they know about at the airport do not seem directly relevant to their needs. But this is short-term thinking. If the operator understands how the information is used, how easy reporting has become, what development the airport is planning, and how these airfield improvements can benefit their operations, then they may be more inclined to voluntarily participate in the data collection.
Don’t delay
While this type of reporting may not seem too important now for some airports, new and emerging technologies planning to begin revenue passenger services as early as 2024 —such as urban air mobility (UAM), advanced air mobility (AAM), and electric aircraft operators—have the potential to add significant enplanements at airports that previously may not have seen very many.
Now is the time to start thinking about your 2023 data collection strategy. Data collection begins in January of each year and is usually due by March. What airport development projects have you been delaying until more funds are available? I would love to hear about them and talk with you more about the existing gap in data, how to overcome this gap, and how you could gain access to the million-dollar mark in NPE funding. Reach out to me anytime.
