Aug. 25--Bob Whitmer wants to ensure that he and community leaders have done all they can do when it comes to securing federal funding to keep the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport's air traffic control tower open.
The Federal Aviation Administration is funding the local tower and others located in small- to medium-sized airports through September.
And the signs are good for continued funding.
"The funding for the towers are in all three budgets, the House, Senate and the president's," Whitmer told the airport board Monday night. "The problem is that it's very likely that the federal government will not have a budget Oct. 1."
If that is the case, the FAA then will have to decide how and whether to pay to keep open these 251 towers during the interim until a continuation budget or new budget is passed.
The future of the control towers came into question this spring when they were targeted to close as part of the sequestration -- automatic federal budget
tower cuts amounting to about 9 percent across the board with few exceptions.
They received a reprieve when Congress freed up funding in the Department of Transportation/FAA appropriation bills to cover the rest of the fiscal year.
"Our first wish is that a federal budget is passed," Whitmer said. "If not, we want our legislators to somehow send a clear message to the FAA staff that they want the towers to stay open."
Whitmer has asked the mayor and judge-executive to contact U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie and U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and encourage them to support tower funding -- including in this interim period if it becomes necessary.
The U.S. Contract Tower Association is spearheading the efforts to maintain federal funding for the towers.
"I would encourage anyone who cares about the future of the airport to help us retain the control tower," Whitmer said. "I'm concerned that we may not be able to attract -- not only airlines, but also businesses -- to the airport. They want a control tower."
The airport tower is part of the FAA Contract Tower Program that has been around for more than 30 years. Six air traffic controllers operate the local tower 16 hours per day, seven days per week.
Airport Board Chairman Ray Assmar said this summer that he believes the tower was a key to getting Allegiant Air to offer flights to and from Orlando, Fla. He believes the tower is a key to having any larger airline taking notice of Owensboro.
Whitmer has said previously that the traffic control tower and the airport's new 8,000-foot runway are its most attractive features.
Joy Campbell, 691-7299, [email protected]
Copyright 2013 - Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
