Hillsdale Municipal Airport Awarded $2.5 Million FAA Grant for New Terminal Building

HILLSDALE, Mich. (2/28/23)— The Hillsdale Municipal Airport (JYM) will receive $2.5 million from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to replace its existing terminal facility with a new terminal that will meet current building codes and be located in a more accessible area.

Hillsdale Municipal Airport is one of only three Michigan airports awarded funding through the FAA’s FY2023 Airport Terminal Program. The others, Wayne County’s Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport, will each receive grant funds to replace passenger loading bridges.

Final selections for the FY23 grant program were released Monday, Feb. 27.

“I am so excited and honored for the Hillsdale Municipal Airport to be the recipient of this terminal grant,” said Hillsdale Municipal Airport Manager Ginger Moore. “There has been a team of people helping to make this happen and we’ve been working for years towards this goal. Hillsdale Municipal Airport is the front door to our wonderful community and the new terminal will be a huge welcome sign.”

The grant funds are critical for the third phase of a parallel taxiway extension project at the municipally-operated airport. In recent years, it has seen a steady increase in both fuel sales and usage by business jet aircraft.

“This grant will allow the City of Hillsdale to move forward with the next phase of our airport improvement plan,” Hillsdale City Manager David Mackie said. “As our airport continues to see more use, it’s important to make sure we’re continuing to prioritize operational safety and accessibility for our community and visitors.”

In 2015, the Airport broke ground on a parallel taxiway system to augment its 5,000-foot asphalt runway, designed to improve safety and accommodate an increasing volume of air traffic. The first two phases, completed in 2015 and 2021, respectively, saw partial construction of Taxiway C beginning at each end of Runway 10-28.

The third phase of the project will require the existing terminal building be demolished, and aircraft parking areas and T-hangars relocated in order to clear space for the two existing sections of Taxiway C to be connected in the middle, which will complete the entire full-length parallel taxiway.

The new terminal building will be ADA compliant and energy efficient. As of now, no start date has been set for the new terminal’s construction.