By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The Hays Regional Airport has received a $1 million federal grant as part of $10 million in funding for Kansas airports to help them respond to and prepare for the impacts of COVID-19.
The monies come from the Consolidated Appropriation Act and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act, which was passed by Congress in December, provided funding for small and mid-sized airports impacted by COVID-19.
Jamie Salter, airport director, says the $1,008,174 in Hays will be used for operational expenses.
"That includes salaries, general supplies, grounds maintenance," Salter explained. The money can also be used for janitorial services and the additional cleaning and sanitation costs that have increased during the pandemic.
The city did not apply for the grant, according to Salter.
"There was no request made. The government made the awards based on prior entitlements and partially on our enplanements."
This is the second such grant received by the Hays airport.
Last April, the Hays airport received $1 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through the Phase III Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
That grant, which is being used for two longstanding capital improvement projects at the airport - at no cost to the city - was secured by Salter.
More than 75 airports across Kansas received the most recent funding to allow them to continue to serve their communities as passenger numbers remain low. The funding for Kansas airports was part of nearly $2 billion provided to the aviation industry.
The funding announcement was made by U.S. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend.