HELENA — On January 19, the Montana Department of Transportation Aeronautics Division along with the Montana Aeronautics Board awarded a little over $600,000 in loans and grants to various Montana airports as part of its annual loan and grant program. Superior’s airport, which received $9,192 in grants funds and $30,998 in loans, was included.

The program, developed 23 years ago, has become a welcome contributor to Montana airports. At any given time, there is over a million dollars of Aeronautics Division funds obligated to various airport projects around the State. There was about $232,500 in grants and about $371,000 in loans available for disbursement this year for aviation projects around the State. Although most of the money given in grants and loans each year goes to leverage 90/10 Federal (FAA) match dollars for large airport construction projects, there is usually a significant percentage awarded for various smaller airport projects as well.

Applications for the money are due into the Aeronautics Division Nov. 15 each year, and the money is typically awarded in January of the following year. Although the money is awarded in January, the funds are not available until the beginning of the next fiscal year (July 1). The nine members of the Montana Aeronautics Board have sole responsibility for awarding loan and grant monies. This program is open to all public-use airport entities and the money can be used for any qualified airport or aviation related project.

The projects funded for fiscal year 2018 include Big Sandy, Baker, Chinook, Cut Bank, Havre and West Yellowstone.

Several large commercial service airports also received grants for the Pavement Preservation Program including Billings, Butte, Kalispell and Missoula.