U.s. congressman Rodney davis proudly representing the 13th district of illinois

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), a member of the Aviation Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today shared more good news for the University of Illinois Willard Airport, which received a $1,829,100 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The grant will be used to reconstruct the taxiway. 

"Willard Airport is an essential part of the Champaign-Urbana community and helps connect rural areas to the rest of the world," said Davis. "These necessary safety upgrades would not be possible without federal support and I am glad to see our region benefit from this grant. This Congress continues to make infrastructure a priority and as a member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I have continually fought for smaller airports, like Willard, that are so important to our rural communities."

“The grants from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program are essential for airports such as Willard to be able to provide the aviation infrastructure that is so vital to the safety, capacity, and security of our community airports," says Willard Airport Executive Director Gene Cossey. "Without these grants Champaign-Urbana would find it almost impossible to have the economic resource that the airport provides. We are very grateful to Congressman Davis, our Senators, and the FAA for making this money available for us to improve our hometown airport.”

Earlier today, Davis released a statement applauding the University of Illinois-Willard Airport's (CMI) announcement that American Airlines will add new direct service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport starting in December. According to CMI, this is the first new hub available to the region in more than ten years. Click here for more information.