Skip to Content

In the News

Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport gets $2.6 million federal grant for drainage

Click here to read the news story

WESTFIELD -- U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, brought news of a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport on Monday.

The airport will use the money to improve drainage at Barnes, according to information provided by Neal's office.

"The regional airport in Westfield is increasingly playing a larger and more important role in our local transportation infrastructure," Neal said in a written statement. "It also is helping to create good jobs and economic development here in Western Massachusetts. Today's federal grant is an investment in the airport's future and will help improve drainage issues."

Westfield-Barnes generates $74 million a year in payroll, part of $213 million a year in economic activity, according to a 2014 study compiled by the state.

"Federal funds provide critical support to the city's efforts in making Barnes Regional Airport an economic driver for our community," Mayor Brian P. Sullivan Sullivan said. "Congressman Neal's assistance will allow us to more effectively manage storm water to both protect our natural resources and extend the life of the runway."

Airport manager Eric J. Billowitz also attended a press conference at the airport with Neal and Sullivan.Barnes is the home of the Massachusetts Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing. The 104th sits 24/7 Aerospace Control Alert with armed F-15 fighters ready to scramble at a moment's notice to protect the Northeast from any airborne threat. The 104th protects one-quarter of the nation's population and over one-third of the gross domestic product. 

Barnes is also a base for civilian aviation, corporate and charter flights and a Gulfstream service center, which has 225 employees who can perform maintenance on up to 22 aircraft at a time in the hangars.

Stay Connected

Back to top