IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Palm Springs International Airport has secured $22.5 million from the federal government that it will use to improve and expand its baggage handling system.
The grant, from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Infrastructure Program, is part of a $154.8 million allotment being distributed among 72 California airports, according to a statement on the city’s website.
The improvements will speed up how luggage is screened and sorted. With passenger travel at record levels, making baggage service quicker and easier is the airport’s highest immediate priority.
“This is a major step forward in modernizing PSP for the future,” said Harry Barrett, Jr., the airport’s executive director of aviation, in the statement. “We’re seeing unprecedented passenger growth, and this funding allows us to invest in critical infrastructure to meet that demand while improving the travel experience for our passengers and partners.”
Phase one will include site preparation, building expansion, and installation of electrical systems. Construction is expected to begin this year – an exact date was not announced – and be finished in 2008.
Palm Springs International has recorded its highest-ever passenger counts for a particular month five times this year, including an 11 percent year-over-year increase in July, according to the statement.
