COVID-19 Relief Money Landing at Yakima Airport

When was the last time you took a flight or stepped foot inside the Yakima airport? Airports around the nation have been impacted by the virus. Just like you the Yakima airport needs some help through the current pandemic and a bunch of money will soon land at the airport. Yakima City officials say the Yakima Air Terminal-McAllister Field will receive more than $1 million in federal funds in response to "operational impacts" due to COVID-19. The Yakima City Council approved the $1,023,575 grant during its meeting on Tuesday night.
The money comes from the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). It provides about $2 billion to airports within the National Plan of Integrated Airports System experiencing severe economic disruption caused by the virus.

Airport Director Rob Peterson says “Like many airports throughout the nation, the Yakima Airport experienced a drastic decline in passenger activities due to travel restrictions in order to minimize the spread of the Coronavirus,” Peterson continues “this grant will help us offset those lost revenues, and ensure the airport continues to meet or exceed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sanitization standards as passengers traverse our terminal building.”

A press release says in addition, the CRRSAA grant package provides the Yakima Airport an additional $14,863 in rent relief for airport concessions in the main terminal building.

“We appreciate the CRRSAA’s support of our airport concessions in response to the decline in business activities they experienced due to COVID-19,” said Peterson. “As with small businesses throughout the community, they have been negatively impacted during the pandemic.”