U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced $175 million in supplemental funds to 317 eligible airports for heightened airport security since the tragedies of September 11, 2001.

The funds, provided to airports out of the Department of Defense's 2002 appropriations act, will help defray costs associated with additional law enforcement personnel, airport surveillance and the revalidation of all airport-issued and approved identification.

"As we continue to improve our nation's aviation security system, these funds will help our nation's airports offset unanticipated security costs that they have absorbed since September 11," said Secretary Mineta.

Congress directed the department to distribute the funds in a manner that would assist the airports facing the greatest financial challenges in complying with the new security directives. In reviewing the 317 applications, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found that the smaller airports suffered the greatest impacts, while the medium and large airports had a greater capacity to absorb the additional security costs. The $175 million will be dispensed as follows:

184 non-hub airports -- scheduled airline service with fewer than 355,000 annual passenger enplanements -- will be funded 100 percent for eligible project costs for a total of $35.6 million;

67 small-hub airports -- scheduled airline service with between 355,000 and 1,772,000 annual passenger enplanements -- will be funded 50 percent for eligible project costs for a total of $28.3 million; and

66 medium/large-hub airports -- scheduled airline service with more than 1.7 million annual passenger enplanements -- will be funded based on the number of enplanements for each airport under this category, for a total of $111.1 million or 63 percent of the supplemental funds.

A list of airports eligible for the supplemental funds will be posted at www.faa.gov/arp/510home.asp under "Distribution of $175 Million for Security."

Each eligible airport will receive an abbreviated grant document to complete and return to the FAA. The funds will be dispensed immediately thereafter.

The eligible airports that applied for the additional funds are those with regularly scheduled passenger service and that have an airport security program under Federal Aviation Regulation Part 107.

This supplement is not part of the Airport Improvement Program, nor is there any repayment or local-matching share requirement for participating airports.