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CAA: Airport News, "Contract Tower program: Lawmakers and Safety Officials Rebuke Possible FAA Proposal"
February 14, 2000
LAWMAKERS AND SAFETY OFFICIALS REBUKE POSSIBLE FAA PROPOSAL
WASHINGTON Feb.14 (States News Service) -- Cheyenne airport officials Monday
said a new Federal Aviation Administration plan is ill-motivated, irrational
and detrimental to the safety of Wyoming's passengers. Due to budget
constraints, the FAA is considering eliminating The Contract Tower
program -- a program that provides money for air traffic control towers in
low-activity airports nationwide. Cheyenne, Gillette and Jackson could lose
their towers, and their safety control, by April 1. "It is unfair and
unsafe," said Cheyenne Airport Manager, Jerry Olson, "The FAA is putty air
safety at risk and we will be severely effected." Contract towers are
especially designed for small airports. They are slightly different from
basic FAA towers because they are manned by separate expert teams but still
paid for by the federal government. "Last year the House and Senate could
not agree on a new air safety reauthorization bill," said FAA spokesman,
Bill Schulman, "The FAA was left with a budget quandary. And we have to make
some decisions. This is one alternative." Olson believes the FAA is
mistakenly cutting "one of the best and safest government privatization
efforts out there," in a leverage play to gain attention from Congress. The
FAA spends $500,000 per year to keep each Contract tower running. According
to Schulman, individual airports will be able to assume the same
responsibility at half the price. Unfortunately, Wyoming airports will not
be able to handle to the financial burden, according to airport officials.
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