Originally published in 1993
Fiscal 1992 was a good year for federal investment in Texas’ general aviation infrastructure. The Division of Aviation administered funding totaling nearly $16 million for improvement projects at 24 airports across the state. Funding for these projects is made possible as a result of the Federal Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982. The state objective of the Act is to “assist in the development of a nationwide system of public-use airports adequate to meet the current projected growth of civil aviation.”
The Division’s role in this program has been to channel federal funds to general aviation non-reliever airports for airport improvements and to act as the agent for the local airport sponsor in contracting, engineering, project management, and financial accounting. To accomplish this, the Division works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), local airport sponsors, and consultants.
Federal funding comes from the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP), with money generated from a federal ticket tax, a federal tax on aviation fuel and federal taxes on certain aviation supplies. The money is appropriated through the airport and airways trust fund. Federal participation is at a rate of ninety percent for eligible projects. The remaining ten percent is funded equally by the state and local sponsor.