Louisville Airport Receives $6.6 Million

Paying for vital upgrades, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., announced that the Louisville International Airport is receiving $6.6 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for a new construction project.The federal funds will go toward completing work on the Taxiway Alpha project, which is designed to ensure the terminal can handle the largest and newest long-range commercial and passenger aircraft."Ever since the construction of UPS Worldport and the addition of thousands of new jobs in Louisville, the benefits of having an advanced and modern airport have been clear in our community," Yamuth said in a news release. "This federal investment will support construction that will ensure Louisville International is prepared for the commercial and cargo aircraft of the future, and all of the jobs and economic growth they can bring."Yarmuth's office said the project is a critical component of the airport authority’s long-term goals to ensure the city's terminal has the capacity to house larger classification aircraft, including the new Boeing 747-8 and the Airbus A380. Construction on the Taxiway Alpha project began five years ago and is more than 50 percent complete.“Congressman Yarmuth’s support for funds to construct this phase of Taxiway Alpha is critical to the Airport Authority’s Beyond 2010 plan, which will accommodate the larger 21^st century commercial aircraft. These state-of-the-art airfield improvements will help our community retain and attract even more aviation-related jobs,” said Phil Lynch, chairman of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority's board of directors.