Arlington Municipal Airport Development Plan Arlington Airport Development Plan | Page 246
The State of Texas also distributes funding to general aviation airports from the Highway Trust Fund as
the Texas Aviation Facilities Development Program. These funds are appropriated each year by the
state legislature. Once distributed, these grants contain state obligations only.
The establishment of a CIP for the state entails first identifying the need, then establishing a ranking or
priority system. Identifying all state airport project needs allows TxDOT to establish a biennial program
and budget for development costs. The most recent TxDOT CIP, Aviation Capital Improvement Pro‐
gram 2015‐2017, assumed that approximately $19 million in annual federal AIP grants, plus $24 million
earmarked for non‐primary entitlements and $16 million in state funds, would be available.
The TxDOT biennial program sets a project priority system established by the Texas Transportation
Commission in order to make the best use of limited state and federal airport development funds. Ta‐
ble 6C presents the priority objectives and their associated description in order of importance.
TABLE 6C
TxDOT Project Priorities
Priority Objective
Safety
Preservation
Description
Projects needed to make the facility safe for aircraft operations.
Projects to preserve the functional or structural integrity of the airport.
Improvements required to bring the airport up to design standards for current user air‐
Standards
craft.
Improvements required to allow the airport to accommodate larger aircraft or longer
Upgrade
stage lengths.
Capacity
Expansion required to accommodate more aircraft or higher activity levels.
New Access
A new airport providing new air access to a previously unserved area.
New Capacity
A new airport needed to add capacity or relieve congestion at other area airports.
Source: TxDOT Aviation Capital Improvement Program 2015‐2017
Each airport project for Arlington Municipal Airport must be identified and programmed into the state
CIP and compete with other airport projects in the state for federal and state funds. In Texas, airport
development projects that meet TxDOT’s discretionary funds eligibility requirements can receive 90
percent funding from the AIP State Block Grant Program. Eligible projects include airfield and apron
facilities. Historically, revenue‐generating improvements, such as fuel facilities, utilities, and hangars
have not been eligible for AIP funding. The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, however, pro‐
vides for the allowance of NPE funds to be utilized for hangar or fuel farm construction if all other air‐
field needs have been addressed.
The availability of grant funds can fluctuate from year to year. Typically, an airport can expect a grant
to cover several projects in one grant‐cycle. The next grant opportunity may not arise for a couple of
years thereafter. This cycle occurs as TxDOT must administer grants for more than 300 airports and
has relatively limited resources. As a result, local budgeting for future capital improvements should
consider sporadic grant availabilities.
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