San Luis Obispo County Airport was awarded $2.25 million in federal funding to improve its baggage screening system, according to U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal, (D) CA-24, who secured the money.
Announced in late May, the grant will go toward funding the replacement of equipment that is undersized and outdated allowing the airport to meet current operational demand.
“Given SLO’s beautiful landscapes, innovative companies, and acclaimed universities, it is no surprise that SLO County Airport welcomed a record-breaking number of passengers last year,” said Carbajal in a news release. “This federal funding will support necessary infrastructure upgrades, allowing the airport to accommodate the growing number of travelers coming into SLO County each year.”
Carbajal’s congressional district includes southern San Luis Obispo County. Northern San Luis Obispo County is represented by Jimmy Panetta, D. CA-19 whose district follows the coast to Santa Cruz and San Jose.
San Luis Obispo County Airport Director Courtney Johnson said they are “incredibly grateful to Congressman Carbajal and his team” for the support, saying that the funding will “enhance the travel experience for families and passengers traveling through our community airport. Investments like this are critical to maintaining safe, efficient and reliable service as passenger activity continues to grow.”
The funding was secured from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Airport Terminals Program, which doles out grants for safe, sustainable and accessible airport terminals, airport traffic control towers, and airport rail and bus projects that improve multimodal connections. The program has delivered more than $1 billion in funding to projects on the Central Coast.
