WARWICK – The R.I. Airport Corp. will receive $7 million in federal funding to reimburse it for security upgrades made in the wake of 9/11, Sen Jack F. Reed announced Wednesday.
Despite the understanding that it would be reimbursed for the security improvements by the federal government, the corporation never received money from Washington.
The funds reimburse mandatory security upgrades included in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the act that established the Transportation Security Administration.
The TSA was directed to review airports claims for reimbursement and establish a way to pay them in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act. It determined that 14 airports requesting a total of $267 million were eligible for TSA’s validation process, among them, T.F. Green Airport.
Reed said that the $7 million is just a down payment on the total owed amount to the RIAC of $30.2 million. This most recent payment comes specifically from $50 million set aside for airport reimbursement in the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
“This federal funding is a positive step and long overdue. Congress mandated stronger airport security, and the federal government must fulfill its commitment and reimburse airports that took appropriate measures to protect the traveling public,” said Reed in prepared remarks. “In the wake of 9/11, Rhode Island airport officials answered the call to improve security, putting the safety of passengers above all else and dedicating significant financial resources to do so. Finally, the federal government is paying them back, and I will continue pressing to ensure Rhode Island is fully reimbursed by the federal government.”
