Federal Contract Tower Program
General Grant Program Information
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) established the FAA Contract Towers (FCT) Competitive Grant Program, which offers annual grants with a 100% Federal cost share to eligible airports for projects focused on airport-owned air traffic control towers (ATCTs) to address the aging infrastructure of our nation’s airports.
Eligibility Information
Eligible sponsors are those approved in the FCT Program or Contract Tower Cost Share Program as defined in 49 U.S.C. § 47124, and normally eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants as outlined in 49 U.S.C. § 47115. These sponsors or airports can include public agencies, private entities, state agencies, Indian Tribes or Pueblos owning a public-use NPIAS airport, the Secretary of the Interior for the Midway Island airport, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.
All projects funded through the FCT Competitive Grant Program must be airport-owned ATCT projects. These projects may include sustaining, constructing, repairing, improving, rehabilitating, modernizing, replacing, or relocating non-approach control towers. The FCT can also fund the acquisition and installation of air traffic control, communications, and related equipment for these towers.
Funding Information
The FCT Program, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), Pub. L. 117-58, is set to receive up to $100 million annually from unobligated Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) funds for fiscal years 2026 through 2029. These funds must be obligated (awarded under grant) by the end of the fifth year, or they will be returned to the Treasury.
In fiscal year 2026, the FCT Program will have approximately $86 million available, which includes the final $20 million annual allocation and approximately $66 million from FY 2022 unobligated AIG funds transferred to the program. For fiscal years 2027 through 2030, the program is anticipated to continue receiving up to $100 million in AIG funds each year.
Contact Information
For questions, please contact your local Regional Office (RO), Airports District Office (ADO), or State Agency for Airports under the FAA State Block Grant Program (SBGP).
You can also reach out to the FAA IIJA Team at IIJAAirports@faa.gov. For answers to other frequently asked questions, please refer to our FAQ section.
Disclaimer:
The Dashboard provides users with a high-level overview of relevant Federal discretionary grant programs. The information in the Dashboard is maintained as a secondary resource and may not be updated with the most recent changes to each program's primary guidance materials. Accordingly, please refer to the Federal grant-making agency for the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on a grant opportunity in the Dashboard.