Project Will Bring New Jobs, Strengthen Local Economy

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt broke ground Monday on a new $69 million air traffic control tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control facility at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, representing a significant investment in the future of air traffic control. The new tower will replace one that has served the airport since 1988.

(L-R) Ray LaHood, Randy Babbitt

“Rebuilding and expanding our aviation infrastructure is critical for our nation’s economy,” said Secretary LaHood. “The American Jobs Act will upgrade our airports and runways, create good-paying jobs and lay the groundwork for a modern air transportation system that keeps our nation economically competitive and provides the service that passengers deserve.”

“Airports are economic engines for our country. These investments in airport infrastructure have both efficiency and safety benefits,” said Administrator Babbitt.  “The new location for the Cleveland tower gives controllers a better view of airport operations and will ensure that they are prepared for the future of air traffic control.”

Facility construction is scheduled to be completed in 2014 and is expected to generate nearly 100 new construction jobs. The new 324-foot-tall tower will be equipped with the latest aviation technology to prepare for the FAA’s transformation to the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. The technology will give air traffic controllers more precise, system wide information about weather and flight data.

The Cleveland facility will include a tower cab with eight air traffic positions where controllers direct aircraft in and around Hopkins airport and a radar facility that controls air traffic in a 30-mile area around the Cleveland metropolitan region.  In 2010, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport handled more than 194,000 aircraft arrivals and departures.

FMI: www.faa.gov