Montana Airports Get Pandemic Money

Montana airports of all sizes will be splitting at least $20 million from the December COVID relief package. Montana Senator Jon Tester provided a list of 68 airports that will be part of the distribution from the December 2020 relief package from the FAA Airport Coronavirus Response Grant Program.

Tester said the money will help the airports keep up with costs and continue ongoing projects. He said the funding was part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act that took effect near the end of December 2020.

Many of the smaller airports such as Jordan, Ekalaka, Colstrip, Choteau, Big Sandy, Terry, Lincoln, and Thompson Falls each will get $9,000. Larger airports will each have $13,000 and some of those airports are Laurel, Eureka, Dillon, Lewistown, Shelby and Deer Lodge. The state's largest airports will get substantially more - about $4 million each for Bozeman Yellowstone International and Billings Logan International, $2 milion for Glacier International in Kalispell and Great Falls International, and a million each for Butte, Helena, and Sidney-Richland regional airports.

Locally, Missoula International Airport will get $3,390,000, Ravalli County and Stevensville airports will receive $13,000. And Polson, Ronan and Libby each will receive $13,000.

Tester said in a recent news release, "Communities across Montana rely on airports to support their local economies and keep folks connected. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench in air travel for the last year, making it harder for our local airports to keep up with costs and continue critical infrastructure projects. I'm proud to have helped secure funding that will allow airports across the state to continue serving their communities long after this crisis is over."