Rural airports are economic lifelines. Washington should treat them that way

OPINION:

When Washington talks about infrastructure, the conversation usually centers on the biggest cities in the country. The focus is often on congested highways, massive transit systems or large airport expansions in major metropolitan areas.

Those projects matter. But they are not the whole story.

Across rural America, infrastructure looks very different. In many communities, it is a regional airport that connects families, businesses and industries to the rest of the country. It is a runway that allows a small business owner to reach customers across the country in a single day. It is a reliable flight that brings visitors to communities whose local economies depend on tourism and outdoor recreation.

Across Colorado’s Third Congressional District, regional airports serve exactly that role.

Airports in Grand Junction, Montrose, Durango, and communities across the Western Slope and southern Colorado connect rural communities to the national economy. They support industries that define our region, including agriculture, energy production, tourism and small businesses that depend on national markets.

They also make everyday life possible in a district where distance is simply part of the geography. For a patient traveling for specialized medical care, a student returning home from college or a business owner meeting with clients across the country, regional airports provide connections that would not exist otherwise.

Maintaining those connections requires modern and reliable infrastructure.

Large airports often have access to multiple financing options and deep capital markets to fund improvements. Smaller regional airports frequently do not. Yet the infrastructure they operate is just as essential to the communities they serve.

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That is why I introduced the Airport TIFIA Financing Certainty Act.

The legislation addresses a straightforward issue in federal infrastructure policy. The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, known as TIFIA, has long helped finance major transportation projects across the United States. The program provides low-cost federal loans that allow communities to invest in critical infrastructure such as highways, bridges and transit systems.

Those projects have used TIFIA financing successfully for years.

Airports, however, have faced uncertainty about whether they can reliably access the same tool for aviation infrastructure projects. That uncertainty makes long-term planning more difficult and discourages investment in projects that many communities need.

The Airport TIFIA Financing Certainty Act clarifies that airports are eligible and permanently expands access so communities can confidently use TIFIA financing for qualified aviation projects.

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Just as important, these are loans rather than grants. They must be repaid. That means projects still need to make financial sense, and taxpayers remain protected. Communities gain access to flexible financing while maintaining fiscal discipline.

That approach reflects a simple principle. Federal infrastructure policy should help communities build what they actually need, not force them into programs designed primarily around the country’s largest cities.

In rural America, infrastructure investments often carry higher stakes.

When a large metropolitan airport expands a terminal, the result may be greater convenience for travelers. When a regional airport upgrades its facilities or expands service, it can unlock entirely new economic opportunities including tourism, business investment and job creation.

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Regional airports also play an important role in national supply chains. Agricultural producers rely on them to move goods efficiently. Energy companies depend on them to reach remote project sites. Outdoor recreation economies rely on them to bring visitors to the communities that serve as gateways to America’s public lands.

In Colorado’s Third District, these connections are not theoretical. They are part of everyday economic life.

But the same reality exists across rural America. That is why federal infrastructure policy must account for the needs of smaller communities as well as major metropolitan areas.

In Congress, I have focused on practical solutions that make systems work better for the communities I represent. Rural Coloradans are not interested in political theater. They care about results.

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Infrastructure policy should follow that same principle.

Programs that reduce uncertainty, expand financing options, and encourage responsible investment can make a real difference even if they do not generate national headlines.

The Airport TIFIA Financing Certainty Act is a targeted reform designed to make an existing tool work better for rural communities.

Sometimes strengthening infrastructure is not about creating a new federal program. Sometimes it is about removing the barriers that prevent communities from building the connections they need to grow and succeed.

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• Rep. Jeff Hurd represents Colorado’s 3rd district, one of the most stunning and diverse regions in the country. He serves on three key House committees: Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space and Technology.