Aurora Municipal Airport Lands $157K Coronavirus Stimulus Grant

AURORA, IL — The Aurora Municipal Airport recently received a $157,000 grant from the federal government’s coronavirus stimulus package to bolster its finances while the state and much of the country remains shut down. Interim airport manager Steve Andras said the money will likely be used to support operations and maintenance at the airport, though federal officials have provided several options for spending the grant.

Based on the size of its operations, the $157,000 grant was the largest sum the airport could get under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. The stimulus package, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will cost $1.76 trillion, includes $10 billion in funding for U.S. airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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The airport will likely receive its stimulus funding in the form of reimbursements for operations and maintenance costs, Andras said. Airports have also been given flexibility to use the funds for development projects. Federal aviation officials are directing airports to spend the money “as expeditiously as possible,” Andras said.

“It’s obviously not huge, but it’s very helpful and we’re thankful for that,” Andras said of the six-figure relief grant.

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The City of Aurora subsidizes about $200,000 of the municipal airport’s $900,000 annual budget, Andras said, so the grant could provide the city some financial relief. But with the coronavirus outbreak “happening so quickly ... everybody’s got more questions that answers in terms of how we can use this money, and how best to use it,” Andras said.

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Unlike many commercial airports, the Aurora Municipal Airport has not seen much of a downturn in flight traffic, as many corporate executives are chartering private planes to conduct business amid the shutdown, Andras said.

“If anything, there may be a slight increase in operations,” Andras said.

Andras and airport administrative secretary Amy Maveus are splitting time at the airport’s office in order to maintain social distance. The airport is technically closed to the public, but there has never been much interaction between airport staff and the general public, Andras said.

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