MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The city of Mobile is getting more than $2 million in federal money for its new downtown airport.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says a grant totaling about $1.4 million will help update a master plan for the Mobile Downtown Airport. A grant of about $820,000 will repair a runway and purchase a maintenance machine.

The first passenger flight departed from the two-runway airport a few weeks ago. The airport is located off Interstate 10 at the old Brookley military field within sight of downtown skyscrapers.

The downtown airport is meant to eventually replace the existing Mobile Regional Airport, which is a roughly 30-minute drive to downtown.

Sen. Richard Shelby says the grants for Mobile are among more than $9.5 million approved for airports in Alabama.