Faster baggage screening coming to SLO County airport thanks to $2.2M grant
Travelers’ experience at San Luis Obispo airport will get an upgrade thanks to a new baggage screen system that will be funded by a $2.2 million in federal grant.
The current system at the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport has become “too undersized and outdated” and is not meeting with the current demand, according to a news release from Rep. Salud Carbajal.
“This federal funding will support necessary infrastructure upgrades, allowing the airport to accommodate the growing number of travelers coming into SLO County each year,” Carbajal said in the release.
The SLO airport saw a record-breaking number of passengers in 2025 with 811,905 people passing through the hub, representing an 8.7% uptick in total passengers compared to the previous year, The Tribune reported.
“This funding supports the replacement of the terminal’s undersized outbound baggage screening system, to better meet current operational demand and enhance the travel experience for families and passengers traveling through our community airport,” SLO County director of airports Courtney Johnson said in the release. “Investments like this are critical to maintaining safe, efficient and reliable service as passenger activity continues to grow.”
The $2.25 million in funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Airport Terminals Program.
The grants are used to fund upgrades to airport terminals, air traffic control towers and airport rail and bus projects that ensure “safe and seamless travel experience for families across the U.S.,” the release said.
The latest improvement follows another $3 million in funding approved last fall for local airports, including $2.7 million of to build a new 315-foot taxiway.
