The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will provide $ 8 billion in grants to help restore the normal operation of the country's airports, which have suffered damage from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

Grants help keep jobs and help the aviation sector recover as more Americans are vaccinated against the coronavirus and travel again, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The allocated funds will be used to pay salaries to employees and implement projects in construction, the document says. Also, grants can be used to reduce the rent of retail companies operating in terminals. According to the criteria, to receive funding, airport management must hire at least 90% of the pre-pandemic staff.

According to a press release, the funding for the grants is provided under President Joe Biden's proposed $ 1.9 trillion short-term response to the pandemic and its aftermath, dubbed the American Rescue Plan.