§ 47116 — Small Airport Fund

(a) The Secretary of Transportation has a small airport fund. The fund consists of 87.5 percent of amounts not apportioned under section 47114 of this title because of section 47114(f). (b) The Secretary may distribute amounts in the fund in each fiscal year for any purpose for which amounts are made available under section 48103 of this title as follows: (1) Not more than 25 percent for grants for projects at small hub airports. (2) Not less than 25 percent for grants to sponsors of public-use airports (except commercial service airports). (3) Not less than 50 percent for grants to sponsors of commercial service airports that are not larger than a nonhub airport. (c) An airport in a State participating in the State block grant pilot program under section 47128 of this title may receive a grant under this section to the same extent the airport may receive a grant if the State were not participating in the program. (1) In making grants to sponsors described in subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall give priority consideration to multi-year proj­ects for construction of new runways that the Secretary finds are cost beneficial and would increase capacity in a region of the United States. (2) Notwithstanding section 47124(b)(4)(A), the Secretary may provide grants under this section to an airport sponsor participating in the contract tower program under section 47124 for the construction or improvement of a nonapproach control tower, as defined by the Secretary, and for the acquisition and installation of air traffic control, communications, and related equipment to be used in that tower. Such grants shall be subject to the distribution requirements of subsection (b) and the eligibility requirements of section 47124(b)(4)(B). (e) In distributing amounts from the fund described in subsection (a) to sponsors described in subsection (b)(2) and (b)(3), 5 percent of each amount shall be used for projects to construct or rehabilitate aprons intended to be used for itinerant general aviation aircraft parking.