California’s 24th District Representative, Salud Carbajal, has recently announced that the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport has received $2.7 million dollars to help build a new taxiway. They will be constructing a new 315-foot taxiway, which will help keep the airport up to date and safe. Another Airport in San Luis Obispo, the Oceano airport, will be receiving $313,500 to reseal its runway. They will be resealing all 2,325 feet of it to help lengthen its life so they won’t have to replace it again. Receiving this money won’t only help with safety purposes, but also with tourism. Adding new elements and modernizing the building will help bring in more people and tourists to the airports.
In the KSBY news release, they explained how, “SLO’s regional airports are critical for the Central Coast’s tourism sector, emergency response capabilities, pilot training and other vital activities.” They received the money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Grant, also known as the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program, to create a new taxiway at SLO County Regional Airport.
This isn’t the first time that the SLO County Regional Airport has received funding. In 2020, the SLO Airport received a $20 million dollar grant during the Coronavirus pandemic. The grant was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. Also in Sept. 2024, the airport received a $3.5 million dollar grant for cleaning up polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as firefighting foam. The grant money was for cleaning up the soil and water in the local area from the toxic foam chemical.
The SLO County Regional Airport has also received funding from the Federal Aviation Administration for its Sustainability and Decarbonization plan. The airport installed solar carports and put in landscaping that is much more water-conservative. They started the solar carport project in June 2025 and hope to be finished by November 2025. SLO County Regional Airport has also installed electric vehicle charging stations as part of this initiative. They have also been recognized for their commitment to reducing carbon emissions. The SLO airport has received level two Airport Carbon Accreditation, which is due to its energy efficiency and sustainability improvements. They are one of 75 airports in the country that have received the ACA recognition.
Sources: SLO Tribune, KSBY, KEYT, kprl.com, Paso Robles Daily News, Slo airport.com,
