9. The commissioner is hereby authorized to expend moneys from the Airport Safety Fund established by section 4 of the “New Jersey Airport Safety, Security and Improvement Act,” P.L.1983, c.264 (C. 6:1-92), for the following purposes:

a. To provide grants to publicly and privately owned, unrestricted, public use airports to obtain federal funds for airport assistance. The commissioner is authorized to provide up to 50% of the required local match; except that the commissioner is authorized to provide up to 100% of the required local match, when he deems that an emergency situation exists.

b. To provide grants or loans, or both, to publicly owned and private, unrestricted, public use airports for safety projects, including but not limited to engineering, planning, construction and rehabilitation of lighting, runways, aprons, airport approach aids and obstruction removals, and for security, capital improvement, informational and educational projects, and revenue and nonrevenue producing capital improvement and development projects.

c. To provide grants or loans, or both, to publicly owned airports or counties or municipalities to acquire airports or lands, rights in land and easements, including aviation easements necessary for clear zones or clear areas, which are owned, controlled or operated, or to be owned, controlled or operated by municipalities, counties or other political subdivisions of this State.

d. To acquire lands or rights in lands adjacent to privately owned, public use airports, which are found necessary for airport or air safety purposes, and while retaining title to that land or rights in land, the commissioner may lease those lands or rights to airports or airport authorities for use in the furtherance of airport, air safety, or air transportation purposes. The commissioner shall establish terms in any such lease so as to protect the State’s interest in the promotion of aviation and the State’s investment in lands and property.

e. To provide loans to unrestricted public use airports and New Jersey based aviation enterprises, in amounts not to exceed $200,000 per loan, for such specific purposes, not included among those set forth in subsection b. of this section, and on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the commissioner pursuant to this subsection. Loans pursuant to this subsection may be provided for purposes or projects which effectuate the New Jersey Airport Safety, Security and Improvement Act and the duties and powers of the commissioner set forth in section 5 of P.L.1966, c.301 (C. 27:1A-5). In providing such loans, the commissioner shall establish loan security terms so as to protect the State’s interests. Loans shall not be provided pursuant to this subsection to airports or enterprises for the purpose of expanding, preparing for an expansion or completing an expansion of the physical capabilities of the airport, including but not limited to expansion of the runways, to support a greater number of flights or larger aircraft than that which the airport is able to handle within the safety parameters applicable to that airport at the time of the loan application, except that a loan may be provided to restore the physical capabilities of an airport, which capabilities have been reduced as a result of insufficient maintenance and repair, to the capabilities that existed when the airport was in a state of full repair and fully maintained.

f. To establish, operate, or provide any program or activity which promotes aviation safety, promotes aviation education, or provides for the promotion of aeronautics. In no fiscal year shall the amount of moneys expended pursuant to this subsection exceed 10 percent of the total amount of moneys appropriated in that fiscal year to the Airport Safety Fund, established in the General Fund pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1983, c.264 (C. 6:1-92).

L.1983, c.264, s.9; amended 2010, c.38, s.4.