Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Aviation Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ohio Aviation Association urges bigger state aviation fund so airports can draw federal aid
Summary
The Ohio Aviation Association told the Senate committee the state should increase funding for the Airport Improvement Program so the state's 104 public‑use airports can access substantially more federal dollars and maintain runways, lighting, terminals and hangars.
Tony Fiore, executive director of the Ohio Aviation Association, told the Senate Transportation Committee that Ohio airports need greater state funding in House Bill 54 to leverage federal dollars for runway, lighting and terminal work.
Fiore said Ohio currently estimates roughly $10,000,000 in state support to satisfy a federal revenue‑use requirement tied to aviation fuel taxes, but that airports are requesting $20–$25,000,000 annually through the Office of Aviation. "The annual request to ODOT's office of aviation is between $20 and $25,000,000 but the state has put into the airport improvement program about $10,000,000 a year," Fiore said, adding that additional state funds would allow airports to obtain federal matching funds and not lose federal infrastructure dollars to other states.
Why it matters: Federal airport grants often require local or state matches and the Office of Aviation uses state funds to help smaller airports qualify. Fiore estimated that increasing the state contribution could enable about $400,000,000 of federal funding annually to come into Ohio.
Fiore outlined typical projects and barriers
- Smaller public‑use airports need state help for routine capital items — runway rehabilitation, lighting upgrades (LED conversions), markings, and hangar development — to be competitive for FAA grants. - Under federal rules, state taxes on aviation fuel that were not in place prior to 1987 can be treated as airport revenue and must be used for airport capital or operating costs or otherwise comply with revenue‑use rules. Fiore said the bill’s amendment would keep the state in compliance while allowing an opportunity to flat‑fund the GRF contribution to the Airport Improvement Program and increase overall support.
Fiore compared neighboring states’ programs, noting Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina spend significantly more per year on airport programs than Ohio does, and argued that additional state funding would let Ohio capture more federal dollars rather than letting those grants go to other states.
Ending: Fiore told senators that Ohio airports collectively have substantial construction estimates over the next four years and that a modest increase in state investment would leverage larger federal grants for runway and terminal upgrades. "A mile of runway can take you anywhere in the world," he said, urging the committee to preserve language that enables state aviation revenue to be used for airport improvement and to consider additional GRF support to increase annual capacity for grants.
