COBLE SAYS PTI TOWER TO STAY OPEN 24-7 FOR NOW

Washington, Jun 23

The plan to reduce around-the-clock operating hours at some airport control towers has not affected the Piedmont Triad International (PTI) Airport yet, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) announced today. Congressman Coble, a senior member of the House Aviation subcommittee, said he wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in early May when word surfaced that PTI is on a list for a potential reduction of operating hours. Coble said he received a letter from FAA Administrator Marion Blakey today stating that at the present time, there is no plan to curtail the 24-hour-a-day operations at the PTI traffic control tower.

“We have not dodged the bullet yet,” Rep. Coble noted, “but I appreciate the letter today from Administrator Blakey stating that PTI will not have a reduction in its tower operating hours for now. There is no guarantee that this is a permanent status. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with airport and FAA officials to ensure that the PTI control tower remains open around-the-clock.”

On May 6, Congressman Coble wrote to the FAA and outlined four main reasons why the PTI tower should operate full-time. “I told Administrator Blakey that PTI meets the minimum requirements now first of all,” Coble said. “Second, FedEx will operate a hub at PTI by 2009. Third, Dell – with the hundreds of jobs it will soon provide – needs a fully-operational airport, and fourth, by the end of the year, Comair will be operating a maintenance base at PTI and needs an airport tower that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

In her letter to Congressman Coble, the FAA chief wrote, “At this time, there is no decision to change the hours of operation at Piedmont ATCT (control towers).” Rep. Coble noted that he will continue to advocate for a full-time PTI control tower. “With federal budgets being squeezed everywhere,” Coble concluded, “all agencies, including the FAA, are looking for cost savings wherever possible – as they should. I feel we have a made a strong case that the PTI control tower is one federal facility that should remain off the budget-cutting list.”