FAA Says Airport Does Not Have Enough Traffic To Warrant A Tower

Since 2000, Okaloosa county in the Florida panhandle has been trying to get a federal grant for a control tower at Destin Airport, but the FAA has told county officials that there is not enough traffic at the airport to warrant the facility.

Still they keep trying, and the FAA was supposed to have had an answer for the county by November 2nd.

They're still waiting.

The Destin Log reports that neighbors have been in favor of building a tower, saying it would improve safety. In January of this year, Okaloosa County Airport Director Greg Donovan asked pilots at Destin to estimate the amount of fuel and time lost waiting for clearances due to traffic at nearby Eglin Air Force Base or Okaloosa County Airport (KVPS). They came back with some $4 million in fuel and time wasted sitting on the tarmac with the engine running. Donovan said that didn't include delays at Eglin.

So, Donovan is waiting to hear from the FAA to see if they have scored high enough on their latest application to qualify for a federal grant which would allow them to build, and staff, a control tower.

FMI: http://www.flyvps.com/