SE Twin Cities

Four regional airports are set to receive $110,000 in stimulus funding to share, Faribault.com reports.

The money comes from the Federal Aviation Administration as part of the CARES Act that will provide basic maintenance for the airports, the news agency reported.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that $158.7 million of the $2 trillion stimulus package would be invested in Minnesota airports. The package allocated $61 billion to airline companies and an additional $10 billion to airports to maintain essential operations after traveling has sharply declined.

“This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nation’s airports during this crisis and save workers’ jobs,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said, the news agency reported.

Le Sueur Municipal Airport will receive $20,000, while Owatonna, Waseca and Faribault will receive $30,000 each, according to the news agency. The airports are small and do not have commercial passenger traffic, which has limited the blow to the area's economy somewhat. 

However, the airports have still taken a significant revenue hit and have been harmed by the closures of local colleges and schools. Waseca and Le Sueur have suffered due to the closure of Minnesota State University-Mankato, the news agency reported.

“These grants will be a good way to ensure that we can maintain safe operations and cover basic operational costs,” Owatonna Airport Manager Dave Beaver told the news agency.

Beaver told the news agency he was hopeful that more funding would come later if the shutdown continued into the summer.

The news agency noted that both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and President Donald Trump have expressed an interest in a second round of stimulus funding.

In Minnesota, the airport that received the most in the stimulus funding was the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which received $125 million, according to the news agency. Faribault.com reports that the airport handles 98% of all commercial passenger boardings throughout the state.