Fri, Sep 05, 2003
FAA Statement (Attributable to Administrator Marion C. Blakey)
Regarding DOT Inspector General's Report on Contract Tower Safety
and Operational Costs:
The Inspector
General’s recent report confirms the contract tower program
continues to serve the flying public safely and efficiently as it
has for more than two decades.
The report’s findings make it clear that safety is not an
issue. In fact, contract towers have a significantly better safety
record than comparable FAA towers. Contract towers also cost
significantly less than federally-staffed ones and provide
substantial savings to taxpayers -— $173 million to be exact,
according to the IG’s report.
The report refutes most of the rhetoric and reveals recent
charges regarding the contract tower program to be wholly without
merit. The FAA believes it is highly irresponsible to jeopardize
legislation that provides critical funding for our entire aviation
system, in an attempt to add thousands of new employees to the
federal payroll.
Note: The next day [Friday], that statement was corrected to
read:
The Inspector General’s new report, requested by the
National Air Traffic Controllers Association, confirms the contract
tower program continues to serve the flying public safely and
efficiently as it has for more than two decades.
The report’s findings make it clear that contract
towers have a very strong safety record. At the same time, they
also cost significantly less than federally staffed towers and
provide substantial savings to taxpayers—$173 million to be
exact, according to the IG’s report.
The report proves that recent charges regarding the contract
tower program are wholly without merit. The FAA believes it is
highly irresponsible to jeopardize legislation that provides
critical funding for our entire aviation system in an attempt to
add thousands of new employees to the federal payroll.
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