The Guam International Airport is set to receive millions from the recently signed infrastructure law to improve its facilities and tarmacs. With funding on the way, upgrades will soon begin, Deputy Executive Manager Artemio "Ricky" Hernandez said.

"With this infrastructure improvement programs that we're being able to have, it's providing us the ability to complete some of the projects that we've had in the plans, but we haven't had funding for," he said.  "Guam is estimated to get $30 million, but that really depends as the years go on in terms of our enplanement numbers for Fiscal Years 2024, 2025 and 2026. So it's a five-year investment with that plan."


Hernandez shared one project that GIAA will pursue with the coming monetary aid.

"There's also one that we're also interested in and that's the $5 billion of the $25 billion set aside for the airport terminal program," he said. "We have a lot of terminal projects that we want to get off the ground, but obviously, this funding will be helpful."



Terminals aren't the only planned improvements.

"Rehabilitating our aprons, which is just the concrete areas around the airport for the aircrafts, in addition to that, we're looking at trying to expand our cargo operations," he said. "So cargo aprons are going to be necessary for that. So building the infrastructure around future potential industries, including the expansion of cargo is also something that we're also looking at. We are looking at completing most of the current capital projects that we have in and around the terminal building."

"Upgrading and doing some sustainable energy systems, so electrifying some of the facilities here at the airport and solarizing some of them as well so that we can get some, or most, or all if possible, of our electricity needs off the grid," Hernandez said. 

GIAA is currently waiting for guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin the projects while focusing on recovery efforts for the airport. In the meantime, GIAA has already started working on its master plan to restore the airport.