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Congressional Stalemate on FAA Funds Could Halt Northern Colorado Airport Repairs

Allegiant is the main commercial passenger carrier at the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport. A delay in FAA funds could curb planned maintenance to the airport’s one runway.
Grace Hood
Allegiant is the main commercial passenger carrier at the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport. A delay in FAA funds could curb planned maintenance to the airport’s one runway.

Part of theFort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport renovations may be screeching to a halt as Congress debates essential Federal Aviation Administration dollars.         

The airport plans to add capacity to its small terminal, as well as perform $6.3 million in runway maintenance. Airport Director Jason Licon says funding is secure for terminal improvements, and runway dollars were supposed to be approved this week by Congress in a long-term FAA funding bill. But the House and Senate couldn’t agree on it.

“Unfortunately the FAA funding process has been very limited right now due to Congress only letting the appropriation of funds for the FAA in monthly or lately three week increments,” he said. Licon says right now the airport has scheduled a complete shutdown between August 15 and September 1. But if FAA dollars aren’t approved by next Wednesday, the airport will have to delay the runway improvements to next summer. The delay would cost the area about 150 jobs during the almost three-week time period.