U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., weighed in this week after his recent tour of Key West International Airport in which he focused on the “repaired Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) he secured federal funding for last year.”
Giménez sits on the U.S. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and his office offered some of the details on the EMAS.
“After EMAS became damaged by Hurricane Ian last year, Congressman Carlos Giménez successfully lobbied the Biden Administration to provide federal emergency Individual Assistance (IA) to repair the EMAS in Key West International Airport. EMAS are placed at the end of the runway to slow down and stop an aircraft that overruns the runway. The tires of the aircraft sink into the lightweight material of the EMAS and the aircraft is decelerated as it rolls through the material,” the congressman’s office noted. “A standard EMAS installation can stop an aircraft from overrunning the runway at 70 knots (approximately 80 miles per hour). This greatly enhances passenger safety in the case of an unexpected emergency. The repairs were completed in May 2023.”
“Thanks to the congressman’s efforts, we were able to get the EMAS fixed and continue operations as usual,” said Richard Strickland, the executive director of Airports.
“Congressman Giménez continues to show up for Monroe County residents,” said Mayor Craig Cates. “His quick actions at the federal level helped our locals affected by Ian get much-needed financial help, and the hurricane damage repairs at the airport moved along faster.”
