CT airport secures $5 million federal grant. Here’s how it should help travelers.
A $5.4 million federal grant will give another financial boost to Bradley International Airport for the construction of a $151 million facility where checked bags will undergo security inspections.
Instead of bags being screened in the ticketing lobby, they will be carried by a conveyor system to a new, 80,000-square-foot structure where the luggage will be inspected by the Transportation Security Administration.
The latest federal funding comes from $970 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In 2023, Bradley received $76 million in federal funding for the project.
Construction started on the new building last year and is expected to take two years to complete. Airport officials say its is now rare for checking baggage to be screened in the ticketing lobby as it is at Bradley.
The removal of the large baggage screening machines in the ticketing lobby will open up more space for passengers lining up but also space for future airlines that may decide to fly out of Bradley.
“This significant investment in Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure will be a gamechanger for passengers at Bradley International Airport — streamlining the check-in process and allowing for more gates, which increases the number of flight options,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement.
Gov. Ned Lamont said “Bradley International Airport is a key economic driver for Connecticut and supports the ability of many businesses throughout the Greater Hartford region to operate and grow new jobs.”
The grant announced Tuesday is part of funding approved as part of competitive application program that will benefit 104 airports nationwide focused on terminal reconstruction, development, accessibility, energy efficiency and other initiatives.
In addition to Blumenthal and Lamont, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st, were credited in a release in helping to secure the grant.
Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.