Airports receive $ 8 billion in aid to deal with the epidemic

The U.S. agency that oversees air travel, the FAA, said Tuesday that $ 8 billion in aid to U.S. airports will help tackle epidemic-related challenges. The grants came in the form of a massive $ 1.9 trillion incentive package approved in March, shortly after Joe Biden arrived at the White House.

Also read:Boeing has predicted a difficult decade for commercial aviation

If air traffic had begun to recover with the vaccination campaigns, airports would have been greatly affected by the drop in the number of passengers since the onset of the epidemic at the same time as new health measures had to be taken. The money is aimed at repaying operating expenses, paying interest on loans and covering costs related to the fight against the spread of viruses, a statement said. Airports can raise the rent to be paid by the shops installed on their premises using the subsidies.

To get help, they must continue to employ at least 90% of the staff they had before the outbreak. Government subsidies will allow “Hire workers (at airports) and help the aviation sector recover (from the crisis) when Americans are vaccinated and begin to travel againTransport Minister Pete Pattick said in the document.