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Please Contact our Elected Representatives to Save MKL's Tower!

Based on the FAA's own Benefit/Cost (B/C) Analysis methodology, the impact of closing 189 Contract Towers could be $13 billion dollars in just the first year. Conversely, an estimated $94.5 million in savings will be created by closing those towers on April 7th.

Given the high importance placed on implementing Safety Management Systems (SMS) by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Boad, a Safety Risk Assessment should be conducted at each individual facility prior to any final decisions on the closure. The FAA's own internal SMS protocols, which cut across every line of business in the agency, should be followed.

Closing 189 contract towers represents a 75 percent cut in the 251 contract towers nationwide while the rest of FAA's budget faces a five percent reduction. A 75 percent cut is highly disproportionate compared to other FAA programs and unjustly discriminates against a program the DOT Inspector General has repeatedly says is a cost-effective program for taxpayers.

Bottom line - closing our tower could jeopardize the safety and efficiency of our airport and will certainly mean the significant loss of jobs in our community. DOT and FAA must find other savings before shutting down critical air traffic control towers nationwide.

Lamar Alexander/ Matt Varìno (731) 423-9344 Fax: (731) 423-8918

Bob Corker / Jennifer Weems (731) 424-9655 Fax: (731) 424-8322

Stephen Fíncher/ Scott Goiden (731) 423-4848 Fax: (731) 427-1537

KMKL in the News

FAA to Close McKellar-Sipes Tower on April 7
By Cyndi Lundeberg
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Story Created: Mar 22, 2013 at 10:25 PM CST

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. - In just a few weeks, close to 200 airport traffic control towers around the county will close. One of the affected airports is McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport in West Madison County.

Jan Terrell said her loved ones use McKellar-Sipes every weekend to attend school in the area. She said she does not believe changes will be made until something horrible happens.

"Why does it have to happen to anybody to be changed? Our society is just like that," she said.

Terrell is not the only person worried about the closing of the towers. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran spoke out about closings, Friday saying "Closing towers is equivalent to removing stop lights and stop signs from our roads".

"It puts more danger when you've got nobody controlling the traffic in the air. Golly, they're liable to collide," Terrell said.

Read more: WBBJ News Article