SALISBURY — The Salisbury-Ocean City-Wicomico Regional Airport is getting a significant fiscal shot in the arm through a federal relief grant, Maryland’s congressional delegation announced this week.
Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Maryland), along with Congressman Andy Harris (R-Md.) announced the sizable $1 million-plus federal grant to the airport on Thursday. The funding for the grant is coming from the Coronavirus Relief and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which passed in December.
The grant is a pass-through from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). According to the DOT, the funds can be used for economic relief in a variety of ways including operations costs, personnel, cleaning, sanitization, janitorial services, debt service payments or, in a larger sense, combating the spread of the coronavirus or other pathogens at the airport.
Cardin, Van Hollen and Harris issued a rare joint statement as the delegation in Washington representing Maryland and the Eastern Shore.
“The Salisbury Airport is a critical infrastructure hub for the Delmarva Peninsula and Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” the statement reads. “We’re glad these additional funds have been allocated to offset some of revenue lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We remain committed to ensuring businesses and our local communities are able to stay afloat and get back on their feet after the severe hardship they have endured the past year.”
The Salisbury Airport is a growing regional destination for quick access to Ocean City and area beach resorts and all of Delmarva. Over the last 15 years, the airport has reconstructed and expanded its runways, with plans for further extension to accommodate larger commercial aircraft in the future.
