HIRONO ANNOUNCES OVER $16 MILLION FOR HILO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

HONOLULU – Senator Mazie K. Hirono today announced the award of  $16.8 million in federal funds to the State of Hawaii for the construction of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Building at Hilo International Airport. This funding will be used to help Hilo airport meet federal safety requirements and extend the life of ARFF equipment by protecting it from adverse weather conditions. 

“Hawaii’s people and businesses rely on safe, efficient air transportation and today’s announcement from the Federal Aviation Administration furthers this important objective,” said Hirono. "The federal resources announced today are a significant investment in improving emergency preparedness and response capabilities at Hilo International Airport and will also help ensure that Hawaii’s aviation professionals have the most up to date systems in place to share information, reduce risk, and promote safety.” 

The grant funding will be distributed over the next two years, with approximately $5.6 million this year and the remaining approximately $11.2 next year. Additionally, funds were released to the State of Hawaii for the development of Safety Management System (SMS) Implementation Plans at each of Hawaii’s airports. 

The funding provided to each airport is as follows: 

        Oahu (Honolulu International Airport): $250,000

        Kauai (Lihue): $100,000

        Maui (Kahului): $100,000

        Hilo: $100,000

        Molokai: $49,500

        Lanai: $49,500