O'Hare And Midway Airports Receive More Than $375 Million In Relief Funds From Coronavirus Stimulus Package
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Illinois airports will receive a total of nearly $450 million in relief funding from the $2.3 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, with the vast majority of those federal dollars going to O'Hare and Midway airports.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included $10 billion in relief funding for the nation's airports. The FAA will award $446,739,181 of that funding to 78 airports in Illinois.
O'Hare International Airport will get $294,441,928, while Midway International Airport will receive $82,301,882.
The funds will be used to support ongoing airport operations, and to replace lost revenue caused by plummeting passenger traffic and airport concessions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nation's airports during this crisis and save workers' jobs," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.
You can view a map of every airport receiving stimulus funds on an interactive map.
Last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office announced the city and two sister agencies expected to receive more than $1.5 billion in combined federal stimulus funding, not including the money being provided to O'Hare and Midway.
The city of Chicago is expecting $470 million from the CARES Act to pay for expenses related to the COVID-19 response, Chicago Public Schools are expecting $205 million, and the CTA is expecting nearly $800 million.
In addition, the city also expects to receive an additional $46.7 million in Community Development Block Grant funding to provide services for seniors and the homeless; $23.7 million in Emergency Solutions Grants for homeless services, $1.5 million from the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program to address housing needs of people with HIV/AIDS, and $15 million in Community Services Block Grants to help deal with rising unemployment.
The Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program at the Justice Department is expected to provide the city with another $6.785 million, while the CDC is expected to provide $9.715 million in public health emergency preparedness grants to help respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
