Carbondale Reporter

Approximately $1 million in federal funding has been allocated to help bail out the Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said (D-Ill.).

Funding comes by way of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration to the Williamson County Airport Authority.

"Airports like the Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois have been hit hard in this pandemic," Durbin said in a March 28 Twitter post. "I'm working with @TammyDuckworth to secure necessary funds to keep our airports operating safely."

Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois | Wikipedia Commons

The money will fund COVID-19-related operating expenses, including payroll, sanitization, janitorial services, debt payments and coronavirus mitigation measures.

"This federal grant will help Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois weather the devastating economic effects of COVID-19 and ensure that air travel is as safe as possible for passengers and employees," Durbin said, KFVS 12 reported. "After facing unprecedented declines in travel last year, Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to provide federal relief to support workers and keep our transportation systems operating."

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said she was "proud" to report the federal funding with Durbin and highlighted the need to support airports.

"Our Illinois airports are important economic engines for the state, and making sure they continue to have the support they need to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical," Duckworth said in a statement. "I'll keep working to ensure our airports and transportation systems have the funding and support necessary throughout this pandemic and beyond."

This isn't the first time the airport has received federal investment.

In 2019, the Veterans Airport received $673,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program to cover the costs of the new airline terminal project, according to KFVS 12.

"This funding completes a ten-year $15 million investment that has provided southern Illinois a modern airline terminal facility for years to come," airport director Doug Kimmel said, KFVS 12 reported.