Here’s how University Park Airport plans to use a $1.8 million grant from the FAA

University Park Airport plans to update its snow removal equipment thanks to a $1.8 million Federal Aviation Administration airport improvement grant.

The FAA announced grants totaling $478 million on Wednesday for airport improvements around the United States — part of a $3.18 billion program to improve airport infrastructure. University Park Airport has received airport improvement grants prior to this year, to use for capital improvement projects.

Bryan Rodgers, director of the University Park Airport, said the grant will “replace some old snow removal equipment that is beyond its useful life.” Some equipment dates back to the mid-‘80s and early ‘90s, he said.

The grant will update and replace equipment, including large rotary brooms used for clearing snow, a large snowblower, large plow and material spreaders for both anti-icing and de-icing materials, he said.

“It should make our airport snow removal operations a bit more efficient, allow them to occur a little more quickly,” he said.

But the new equipment won’t be ready in time for this winter, said Rodgers, because the lead time to order and build it is about 10 months.

“Next winter we’ll have the benefit of this equipment,” he said.

With Allegiant Air expanding its service to include flights from University Park to Tampa/St. Petersburg and Orlando/Sanford in October, he said, the improvements are an important part of the airport’s overall maintenance.

“These types of improvements and equipment acquisition (go) to maintain the airfield to a specific standard that allows Allegiant and our other three airlines to serve the community,” he said.