04.15.20

Durbin, Duckworth Announce $376 Million to Support O'Hare and Midway Airports Amid COVID-19

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced that Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports will receive a total of $376,743,810 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address the COVID-19 crisis. These funds – which were authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act – will help airport operators meet ongoing needs and to manage current construction projects as revenues have plummeted.

“The aviation industry is facing the steepest decline in air travel in history, threatening thousands of jobs in Illinois. This critical federal funding will help Chicago’s airports stay afloat and continue operations," Durbin said. "Senator Duckworth and I will continue working to provide relief for Illinoisans during this unprecedented crisis.”

“Making sure our Chicagoland airports continue to have the support they need during the COVID-19 pandemic is important,” Duckworth said. “After hundreds of passengers were forced to wait at O’Hare last month for medical screenings, it was clear additional resources were needed. I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing this infusion of federal funding through the CARES Act, a provision we pushed to include, to help support Chicago’s airports and ensure safe and efficient operations can continue and public health is preserved.”

O’Hare International Airport will receive $294,441,928 and Midway International Airport will receive $82,301,882. The CARES Act provided $10 billion in federal assistance to commercial and general aviation airports nationwide. The funds can be used for airport capital expenditures, airport operating expenses including payroll and utilities, and airport debt payments.

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