A bipartisan group of 35 U.S. senators recently sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Daniel K. Ewells urging the agency to implement a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.
The provision would allow airports utilizing the contract-tower program to become eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants from the small-airport fund. Funds would be used to improve or construct air-traffic-control towers or to acquire and install related equipment.
A total of 256 airports in 46 states participate in the contract tower program. The contract towers handle approximately 29 percent of all U.S. air-traffic-control operations but account for receive only 11 percent of the FAA’s budget for these operations.
“In addition to the safety and financial benefits, the contract tower program plays a key role in connecting rural communities to the national air transportation system, helps airports retain and develop commercial air service, promotes economic development and job creation, provides significant support for military readiness and training as well as for disaster relief, homeland security, and law enforcement operations,” the letter said.
Congress wants air-traffic-control-tower projects to receive priority consideration, the letter said, because these projects provide safety, financial, and other benefits.