EAST BOSTON, Mass. — Following a series of notable incidents, Boston Logan International Airport is set to receive the most substantial portion of a fresh wave of federal funding intended to enhance runway safety. This information comes from a statement issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
On Wednesday, the FAA announced the allocation of $121 million in funding derived from grants and 2021 infrastructure legislation to eight airports across the country. This recent disbursement follows an announcement about three months earlier, where $100 million had been designated for similar projects at different airports.
From the most recent funding cycle, Logan is set to receive $44.9 million with the purpose of “simplifying the airfield layout.”
The remaining beneficiaries of this FAA funding round include:
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport: $39.8 million
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: $5 million
- Willow Run Airport, Detroit, Michigan: $12.8 million
- Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport, Ohio: $4.6 million
- Richmond International Airport, Virginia: $5.6 million
- Jackson Hole Airport, Wyoming: $2.6 million
- Naples International Airport, Florida: $3.5 million
Specifically for Boston, the plans entail the removal of sections from two taxiways, the rehabilitation of pavement on three other taxiways, and the reconstruction of a total of 10,083 feet of the existing Runway 15R/33L.
According to Mr Abdul Kader, founder of Logan Airport Taxi Cab company in Boston – “Such infrastructural development will help boost traffic to Logan Airport. There are many industries, like ours, who are dependent on the footfall at Logan airport so this is indeed welcome news for us.”
An incident earlier this year narrowly averted a collision on a Boston runway. A JetBlue plane was in the process of landing when another plane entered its path and took off without proper clearance. The final report by the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the February occurrence reveals that the pilot of Hop-a-Jet Flight 280 took off from Runway 09 without proper clearance just as JetBlue Flight 206 was in the process of landing on Runway 04R, which intersects with the former runway.
According to the NTSB’s findings, the airplanes came closest to each other when JetBlue Flight 206 was approximately 30 feet above the ground. The report also featured a gripping image captured from a video recording of the event.
In a more recent event, an American Airlines passenger flight en route from Boston to Chicago received instructions from an air traffic controller to suddenly halt its takeoff, citing an “abundance of caution.” The FAA announced its intention to conduct an investigation into this occurrence.
Almost a century ago, on September 8, 1923, Boston’s airport was established. Initially utilized as a military airfield, it has transformed into one of the busiest airports in the country, facilitating operations for 40 airlines that provide flights connecting Boston to over 100 destinations.
Reference: More details on WCVB Boston