Laramie Regional Airport has approval to transfer funding to Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport
Laramie Regional Airport has approval to transfer funding to Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport
LARAMIE (WNE) — In a proactive move to safeguard critical funding for the state, the Federal Aviation Administration recently initiated steps to transfer unspent federal entitlement funding from Laramie Regional Airport to Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport near Rock Springs, a decision that aims to prevent the loss of nearly $1 million earmarked for air travel improvements in the region.
During a special meeting of the Albany County Commission on Aug. 19, Airport Director Amy Terrell explained that each year the Laramie Regional Airport receives entitlement grants from the federal government, but if the funds go unused they will expire.
“Say we don’t have money for a match or we’re not able to complete a project, we keep those funds to the side and we continue to acquire those funds,” Terrell said. “We have funds from 2021, 2023-24 that we were not able to spend out. The state of Wyoming doesn’t want to lose those funds, so we were going to transfer those funds to Rock Springs and next year we can go to Rock Springs and get those funds back.”
During the past few years, Laramie Regional Airport has accumulated a significant amount of unspent entitlement funds: about $155,000 from 2021, $69,000 from 2023, and $829,000 from 2024.
The transfer was prompted by a direct request for Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport, which identified a need for the funding that could aid with the completion of a commercial terminal expansion.
The project includes doubling the size of the current commercial terminal, device chargers at each seat, improved restrooms, enhanced Wi-Fi, expanded micro-markets, the latest screen equipment and a baggage belt.
The Albany County Commission approved the transfer unanimously.
This story was published on August 30, 2024.