By Trish Svoboda

Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2498, a bipartisan bill that boosts funding for public airports in Kansas, enhancing their safety and accessibility.

H.B. 2498 expands the yearly budget for the Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) from $5 million to a substantial $15 million. This boost in financial resources will be allocated to public airports throughout Kansas, enabling them to undertake modernization projects and tackle infrastructure requirements.

“Key to KDOT’s support of increased funding for the state’s 109 public use airports has been the agency’s ongoing collaboration with the Kansas Association of Airports and our local and federal partners,” said Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed. “These airports generate over $9 billion in annual economic output. The KAIP program helps this important industry remain a vital part of the Kansas economy. That translates into jobs and quality of life for the residents of Kansas.”

This funding will bolster key projects including the enhancement of pavement conditions, safety upgrades, and the implementation of automated weather monitoring systems, which are vital for the operation of air ambulance services in rural regions.