Vicksburg Municipal Airport is among 17 airports in Mississippi that will receive federal funds to upgrade infrastructure.

The airport located on U.S. 61 South will receive $135,108 to reseal and resurface the existing terminal apron pavement and joints, according to a statement from U.S. Senator Roger Wicker.

The Federal Aviation Administration will award the grants. The money is part of a much larger $374 million round of grants that are part of the Airport Improvement Program. The AIP provides grants to 299 airports in 46 states and American Samoa. Many airports that were given grants are small regional airports like Vicksburg Municipal.

Vicksburg Alderman Alex Monsour said the work the grant will fund is needed, and is hopefully just the first in many more improvements to come at the city’s airport.

“(This grant) is to improve the apron,” Monsour said. “It comes to the fueling station. It’s a great thing for the City of Vicksburg and it comes in at 95 percent grant, so we only have to pony up the 5 percent. So, we’re gradually making our airport better and better, and we’ve got some great plans.”

The 17 airports in Mississippi received grants totaling $6,747,541.

The airports are in Belzoni, Batesville, Hattiesburg, Tupelo, Yazoo City, Tishomingo County, Drew, Kosciusko, New Albany, Gulfport, Okolona, Ripley, Oxford, Indianola, Wiggins and Clarksdale.
The projects funded by the grants range in scope from construction of a new hangar at the Belzoni Municipal Airport; to runway and taxiway work in Vicksburg, Ripley, Tupelo and Okolona; to lighting upgrades in Hattiesburg and Batesville.

The largest grant went to Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport. It received nearly $3 million to construct a new general aviation apron.

Hattiesburg/Laurel Regional Airport got $607,150 to acquire a new foreign debris sweeper and reconstruct lighting on the apron.

Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport in Mound has not yet received any money for projects under the AIP during fiscal year 2024. It did get $135,000 in 2022 for a “miscellaneous study.”