WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R – Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R – Miss.) announced the award of $34,855,031 in grants to 73 Mississippi airfields.

The airfields awarded are those experiencing severe economic disruption because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awards are made available from the U.S. Treasury and funded in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Senator Wicker said in a statement, “Mississippi’s airports provide an essential service to our state that has been dramatically impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. This emergency funding will help our airports mitigate the worst effects of the coronavirus on their operations so they can continue to support air travel after this crisis has ended.”

Senator Hyde-Smith also released a statement saying in part, “Helping to ensure continued operation of airports in Mississippi is important for public safety and our economic recovery. This series of FAA grants is intended to help sustain these facilities as our state works through the coronavirus outbreak.”

The largest grants were awarded to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport, Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Key Field Airport, and Tupelo Regional Airport.

For a full list of the grants awarded in Mississippi, click here.