CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A $27 million grant will be used to buy new passenger boarding bridges at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The funding, which was announced Wednesday by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis' office and first reported after an event with U.S. Transportation Secretary Peter Buttigieg in February, comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Earlier this year, Buttigieg visited Charlotte to announce a nearly $1 billion investment into America's airports nationwide. The investment, which will be distributed to 114 airports nationwide, will "modernize air travel and improve the passenger experience."
“That money is going to replace 16 outdated jet bridges with upgraded models so your walk from your gate to your seat is more comfortable, you’re breathing filtered air,” Buttigieg said at the time.
“Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, and this award to replace aging passenger boarding bridges is a much-needed upgrade to continuing improving this important transportation hub,” Tillis said in a released statement Wednesday.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has already provided more than $10 billion to North Carolina, according to Tillis.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed into law in November of 2021. The deal, which was promoted at the time as an example of what bipartisanship can achieve, secured a trillion dollars for the nation's infrastructure.
In addition to rail and air travel, officials said at the time North Carolina roads and highways are set to receive about $7.2 billion over the next five years.
Over two years since the infrastructure deal was reached, money is still being allocated to projects.
Those kinds of investments are ones that transportation, state, and local leaders said will improve the travel experience so travelers can fly with ease, help meet the growing demand, and make the airport more efficient.
The Charlotte airport is ranked as the 7th busiest airport in the world. State officials present at the announcement said the expansion and enhancement projects are about building for the future.
“It’s a hub with so many direct flights, the fast-growing airport in the country,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said at the event earlier this year. “I go around the country a lot and people tell me just how much they just love to come through this airport.”
“It’s helping Americans go about their days, wherever they are heading with less stress, fewer costs, and focus on what really matters and that is the people who are waiting for them when they land,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg previously visited the Charlotte airport in March 2023 to learn about the airport's new air traffic control tower and runway construction.