A lot of businesses need financial help right now thanks to a devastation of their commerce caused by the coronavirus shut down – and airports are one group where the pain is being felt the most.

However, this week Republican 13th District Congressman Ted Budd made an announcement that should help the hobbled airport pay for one project. It’s a nearly $2 million grant for PTI that will go toward an ongoing effort to reduce airport noise in the surrounding neighborhoods.

This week, Budd announced that the US. Department of Transportation has awarded Piedmont Triad International Airport a $1.9 million grant for that purpose, which will means $1.9 million the airport won’t have to spend of its own money on noise mitigation measures to help residences near the airport.

In a public statement, Budd said that this will give the airport some ammunition for battling the ongoing noise issue.

“I’m happy to announce that folks living around PTI will not have to face the hassle of excessive noise generated by the airport,” Bud stated in the press release. “I thank the DOT [the North Carolina Department of Transportation] for their consideration of this grant.”

Budd also said that he’ll continue to advocate for existing funds that can directly help families in the area.

Over the years, the airport has implemented many programs meant to bring down the level of noise pollution coming from the airport. PTIA has juggled flight times so that residents will not be bothered as much by jet sounds at night. And it’s also used a lot of funds to build sound-protective coverings on some houses under main approach and departure paths.

By the way, the global pandemic shut down has done a great job of bringing down noise levels in the first part of 2020 because in that time passenger traffic was down nearly 99 percent at one point and at the height of the virus reaction.

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