The province is boosting funding to rural airports.
The government will nearly double the amount of cash it will dole out through its Manitoba Airport Assistance program to $156,000.
The annual grant program, which began in 1972, is meant to assist municipal airports with operations, maintenance and improvements.
Airports with paved runways will receive $4,800, an increase from $2,400, while airports with unpaved runways will receive $2,400, up from $1,200, the province said on Thursday.
There are currently 38 municipal airports eligible for the grant, the province said.
Swan River Airport is among those receiving the increased cash. The airport is funded by local municipalities and administrated and operated by the Town of Swan River.
The province said it is used by local pilots and is a stopover for government services, tour and guide companies, and helicopters. The airport is also used as a staging area for forest firefighting aircraft, aerial spraying craft and corporate jets.
The president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, Kam Blight, said the funding will foster economic growth and make the province safer and better connected.
“Municipal airports, particularly in northern Manitoba, are important lifelines that allow residents to increase their connectivity with other communities,” said Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Ian Bushie in a statement.
