This funding, awarded through Airport Improvement Program in the CARES Act, will be used to help the San Antonio International Airport pay for the incurred costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced that nearly $40M ($39.7M) in federal funds will be available for the San Antonio International Airport. This funding, awarded through Airport Improvement Program in the CARES Act, will be used to help the San Antonio International Airport pay for the incurred costs due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as critical safety and capacity projects to continue regardless of airport's current financial circumstances.

"Airports across the country have seen an extreme drop in travel, and consequently, revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic," said Congressman Cuellar. "This critical funding will ensure our airport can continue to pay their employees, maintain and upgrade their facilities, and protect its passengers until we slow the spread of this coronavirus and get our economy moving again. As a senior Appropriator, I am committed to fighting for our transportation and travel industry so we can continue to strengthen our economy and create more jobs. I want to thank Mayor Ron Nierenberg, city council members, City Manager Erik Walsh, the International Airport Director Jesus Saenz Jr. and the rest of his staff for their dedication to protecting our city's tourism and transportation industry during these challenging times."

As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Cuellar helped secure $10 billion for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) in the CARES Act. The federal share for AIP and supplemental discretionary grants already planned for fiscal year 2020 increased to 100 percent. The Airport Improvement Program is a federal grant program that provides funds to public use airports to help improve safety and efficiency, such as improvement projects related to runways and weather stations. The program is managed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to Airports Council International, passenger traffic in U.S. commercial airports is expected to fall by 73 percent in the March to June period, which represents a 53 percent decrease in the first half of 2020 and a 37 percent drop for the full year compared to forecasted 2020 levels.

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