Airport TIFIA Financing Certainty Act Introduced to Support Long-Term Airside and Terminal Infrastructure Upgrades

Representatives John Garamendi (CA-08) and Jeff Hurd (CO-03) have introduced the Airport TIFIA Financing Certainty Act (H.R. 6168), a bipartisan bill designed to give airports long-term access to low-cost federal financing for major capital projects.

For ground support professionals, the legislation would help accelerate the kinds of airside, terminal, and equipment upgrades that directly influence ramp efficiency and day-to-day operations.

The bill continues and expands airport eligibility for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, an important financing tool for projects such as terminal expansions, apron redesign, deicing infrastructure, ground support equipment facilities, and improved passenger and cargo flows.

Rep. Garamendi noted that similar financing has already supported significant improvements at Sacramento International Airport, including a $36.1-million low-cost loan for upgrades that support operational capacity and passenger throughput. “This bill would make permanent and expand a successful program that ensures airports are clean, efficient, and safe for the millions of travelers who depend on them,” he said.

Rep. Hurd emphasized the bill’s value for airports of all sizes. “Expanding access to TIFIA means airports can invest in needed improvements without placing added burden on local taxpayers,” he said. “That supports safer, more reliable operations across Colorado and the nation.”

Industry leaders say the legislation comes at a time when airports face $173.9 billion in infrastructure needs over the next five years, including substantial airside modernization. Airports Council International North America President and CEO Kevin M. Burke called TIFIA “a much-needed financing option for pressing projects across the airport system” and urged Congress to restore and expand eligibility.

Airports themselves are voicing support from an operational standpoint. “As aircraft grow in size and our region expands, we need full flexibility to upgrade terminal capacity and support facilities,” said Angela Padalecki, CEO of Grand Junction Regional Airport. “TIFIA is a game-changer for major terminal projects that also shape ramp operations and GSE requirements.”

The Airport TIFIA Financing Certainty Act would update the program by:

• Expanding eligibility to include all aviation facility and equipment projects that improve access, mobility, and safety—potentially covering ramps, aprons, GSE storage and maintenance areas, deicing pads, and other operational infrastructure.
• Removing the investment-grade rating requirement, eliminating a barrier that has limited airport participation in the program.
• Raising the expedited-processing threshold to $100 million, helping more mid-sized terminal and airside projects reach approval faster.

For ground support teams, these changes could translate to improved airfield layouts, better-equipped gates, more efficient turnaround environments, and upgraded facilities that support modern fleets and next-generation GSE.