The Texas A&M University System is set to begin nearly $5.9 million worth of work to make Easterwood Airport safer.
The work will realign one of the airport’s main taxiways, Taxiway Alpha, to support large aircraft. The taxiway is currently too close to an aircraft parking apron for large aircraft to use. The project will also allow for more aircraft parking. The work will be paid for by a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration and is expected to begin in January.
The population in the Bryan-College Station area has grown at an unprecedented rate — 12 percent — since 2016 and it’s important that Easterwood keep up.
“Bryan-College Station is a growing community with endless potential on the horizon. The Easterwood Airport project will restructure operations to allow for bigger and better commercial air service that will have substantial economic benefits,” says Congressman Pete Sessions. “Our vibrant community deserves to have an airport that matches the quality of its people and capacity to adapt to the area’s rapid advancements. I greatly look forward to seeing Central Texans’ lives enhanced by this endeavor.”
The $5.9 million grant is part of $766 million the FAA recently awarded to build safer, more sustainable, and more accessible airports across the nation. The federal government has waived the usual 10-percent local match thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
“This project is essential to the continued growth of commercial air service to Aggieland,” says John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “We appreciate everything our senators did to ensure Easterwood’s continued growth.”
Easterwood Airport, just minutes from Texas A&M, is owned by The Texas A&M University System. Easterwood’s current passenger numbers are up 184 percent from 2020. Easterwood’s quick pandemic rebound has led to the growth of its commercial service which currently has more daily flights than in 2019.
About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation with a budget of $6.3 billion. The Texas A&M System is a statewide network of 11 universities; a comprehensive health science center; eight state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management; and the RELLIS Campus. The Texas A&M System educates more than 151,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts each year. Systemwide, research and development expenditures exceed $1 billion and helped drive the state’s economy.
Courtesy of The Texas A&M University System
