Warwick, RI – October 28, 2024 – In an effort to improve operational efficiency, deliver a unified and modern design, and enhance passenger flow and comfort for the traveling public, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today announced that the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) has been awarded $10 million in federal funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to advance renovations and technology upgrades at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD).
This federal grant funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) FAA’s Airport Terminals Program. Established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Public Law 117–58), the Airport Terminals Program provides competitive grants for airport terminal development projects to address aging infrastructure at airports nationwide.
The federal funding will help modernize PVD’s aging airport terminal infrastructure to sustain current and future air traffic and passenger demands, drive competition, and enhance environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Terminal improvement projects will include backup power and water upgrades to maintain public safety and minimize travel disruptions. Additional improvements include, upgrades to common interior areas, the expansion of seating capacity, traveler experience enhancements, and renovating the interior space in the concourse to introduce a “sense of place” by bringing elements of local architecture inside the terminal.
This funding will also improve ADA accessibility across all areas of the terminal and upgrade mechanical systems to meet energy efficiency and smart building goals. Terminal improvements will also accommodate additional increased passenger traffic, to allow for continued growth and competition.
“Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport conveys the first, best impression for business and leisure travelers visiting our state and plays a vital role in helping maintain and expand Rhode Island’s hospitality and travel economy,” said Iftikhar Ahmad, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. “Thanks to the support of Senator Reed and all in our Congressional delegation, we can continue to put our state’s best face forward, improving airport access and efficiency while also elevating the passenger experience.”
“Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is an economic engine and the gateway to the Ocean State for many visitors. Upgrading the concourse will ensure the airport continues to offer a world-class experience for all and can continue to support a high-volume of traffic,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. “This is a forward-looking investment in a crucial piece of public infrastructure. It will strengthen not just the airport, but local businesses, tourism, and our economy as well and help accommodate future growth.”
“Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more investments are on the way to keep improving one of the best, most user friendly airports in the country,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This federal funding will make the terminal more comfortable so that residents and visitors flying out of Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport can enjoy a better overall experience.”
“Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a vital hub for travel, commerce and tourism,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “This federal funding will help modernize the airport, enhance the traveler experience and boost the local economy.”
“Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is key part of how Rhode Islanders and our visitors experience memorable moments in our state. It’s where we welcome loved ones when they return from a trip and where we send off our community’s heroes when they travel to D.C. for their Honor Flight,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “Today’s $10 million investment in our public infrastructure will help modernize our airport experience.”
“In the more than thirty years since the construction of the Bruce Sundlun Terminal, Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport has truly helped transform and maintain our local economy,” said Jonathan N. Savage, Rhode Island Airport Corporation Board Chair. “This federal investment will provide critical funding for our efforts to modernize our airport terminal to be ready for the next three decades. We are truly grateful for our Congressional delegation’s continued support for Rhode Island’s aviation economy.”
PVD’s original terminal was constructed in 1993 to support 2.4 million annual enplanements. Now, the airport is on track to exceed that by 1 million passengers over the next five years. Recently announced agreements with several airlines are slated to bring hundreds of new jobs to the airport and connect PVD to even more domestic and international destinations.
As PVD operations continue to expand and passenger numbers increase, RIAC seeks funding to reconfigure its terminal to meet this demand. In addition to advocacy from the state’s federal delegation, Governor Dan McKee and the Providence and Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau also supported federal funding to renovate the 30-year-old terminal and allow Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport to serve the community’s growing needs. For the past several years, RIAC has been preparing for this new era of growth for PVD through the planning and design of the Terminal Reconfiguration project, which aims to ensure the over 30-year-old terminal presents the first and best impression of its state to incoming visitors.
According to data provided by RI Commerce, the state’s travel economy supports 87,852 jobs, representing 13.4% of all jobs in Rhode Island, or 1 in 7 jobs. In addition to the direct terminal construction jobs created through this initiative, improvements at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport also have a significant positive effect on efforts to rebuild core business and stimulate activity for the travel, tourism, and hospitality sector, increase travel volume and improve upon the $2.6 billion in FAA annual estimated economic activity generated by commercial air travel in our state.
About Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport: A convenient and low-cost gateway to New England, Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) has a large catchment area with 7.5 million residents within 90 minutes of the airport. It attracts passengers from nearby Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut. PVD is located just outside of Providence, Rhode Island. Well known for ease of traveler access, affordable parking, and faster security lines, Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is frequently named as one of USA Today’s “Readers’ Choice Best Small Airports” and has earned further distinction as a “Top Three” airport in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Awards and was most recently named a Top 3 Airport in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for 2023.
