Kahului, Hilo airport to get $10M in federal funds for improvements

KAHULUI, MAUI (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two airports across the state are getting a boost from the federal government in funding for improvement projects.

Sen. Mazie Hirono announced Wednesday that the Kahului Airport will split over $10 million in federal funds with Hilo International Airport.

More than half of the funds, $6,187,700, will go to the Kahului Airport to buy over 13 acres of privately owned land for the protection of a plane runway.

"We are very pleased to receive the support of this grant funding that will allow us to meet FAA's runway safety zone requirements and to provide increased safety to our air travelers," Ross Higashi, Deputy Director of the State of Hawaii's Department of Transportation Airport Divisions said.

The remaining $4,430,340 will be used to improve drainage conditions to eliminate airfield ponding along a runway at the Hilo International Airport.

"Ensuring safe and secure air travel is critical to sustaining Hawaii's economy and commerce," Sen. Hirono said. "Federal funding for these runway improvement projects will help to strengthen runway safety at the Kahului and Hilo International airports."

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