Coronavirus Update: Feds Award San Francisco International $254.7 Million In COVID-19 Relief Funds
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Federal transportation officials announced Tuesday they were sending more than $380 million in COVID-19 relief money to 13 large and small airports located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said those funds were part of the FAA's $1.08 billion relief package to 188 airports in California to help respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Here's a breakdown as to what the local airports received:
- San Francisco International -- $254,780,449
- San Jose Mineta International -- $65,633,236
- Oakland International --- $44,662,438
- Charles M Schulz - Sonoma County -- $19,661,086
- Buchanan Field -- Concord -- $1,053,806
- Hayward Executive -- $157,000
- Palo Alto, San Carlos, Reid Hillview, Petaluma Municipal, Novato's Gnoss Field, Napa County -- all $69,000 each
- Half Moon Bay -- $30,000
This funding is part of the Trump Administration's newly created Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Airport Grant Program.
"This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nation's airports during this crisis and save workers' jobs," Chao said of the nation-wide relief package.
The money will support continuing operations and replace lost revenue resulting from the sharp decline in passenger traffic and other airport business due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The funds are available for airport capital expenditures, airport operating expenses including payroll and utilities, and airport debt payments.
According to the TSA, only 93,645 travelers passed through checkpoints nationwide on Saturday, according to TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein. That was a sharp decrease from the same Saturday last year, when 2,059,142 travelers were screened.
