Asian traveler business man wearing face mask waiting to board into airplane, standing in departure terminal in airport. Male passenger traveling by plane transportation during covid19 virus pandemic.

Few facility types have endured more struggle, expectation and the need to adapt than airports since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With foot traffic staying relatively high throughout its inception — but the need for protocols to remain strict — many airports will take all the support they can get to ensure cleanliness and safety. 

Good news recently came in for seven Oregon airports in this regard. As reported by Transportation Today News, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) granted a cumulative $13.5 million in funding to help offset losses incurred from the last year and a half and help the facilities support rent and annual guarantee payments. 

The recipients of this funding are as follows:

Grant County Regional/Oglivie Field Airport: $22,000 going towards janitorial services, combatting pathogens, sanitization efforts, personnel and debt service payments.

Newport Municipal Airport and Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport: $59,000 each attributed to janitorial services, sanitization, personnel, debt service payments, combatting pathogens and personnel.

Roberts Field Airport: $413,506 being attributed to airport concessions, minimum guarantees and rent.

Lake County Airport: $32,000 for janitorial services, sanitization, combatting pathogens, general operations, personnel and debt service payments.

Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport: $6.02 million to be allocated toward sanitation, combatting pathogens, janitorial services, personnel, general operations and debt service payments. 

Mahlon Sweet Field Airport: $510,724 attributed to airport concessions and rent minimum, along with an additional $6.4 million to support janitorial services, sanitization, combatting pathogens, general operations, personnel and debt service payments.

In related news, GOJO Industries recently announced the recipients of a grant that helps qualifying airports seek Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR Facility Accreditation. Read more on the implications and recipients here.