CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided not to cut hours to Yeager Airport’s air traffic control tower.
The Kanawha County Commission announced on Tuesday that it received confirmation from U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito’s office that the FAA will not go through with the reduction and that the tower will not be in jeopardy of workforce reduction in the future.
Yeager Airport and county officials had previously voiced concerns about the study that was meant to save money. The closing of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. was being looked at.
Airport Director Nick Keller said it would have hurt both safety and operations at the airport, thus having a long-term effect on enplanements and the local economy.
Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango released a statement on Tuesday, “It’s a sigh of relief for Kanawha County and West Virginia today. I would like to first thank our dedicated US Senators Joe Manchin III and Shelley Moore Capito. They have been diligent in staying in contact with the FAA and expressing the concern over the threat of workforce reduction at our airport.
“Director Nick Keller was attentive and persistent in showing the FAA the irreparable damage this reduction would have caused. Yeager Airport is the gateway to our capital city and the largest airport in the state. The plan to reduce the workforce at Yeager was misguided and I am glad that common sense prevailed. On behalf of the Kanawha County Commission, we are pleased to see that our airport will only continue to grow and thrive.”
Manchin also release a statement on Tuesday, “The FAA announcement that Yeager Airport will continue their 24 hour Air Traffic Control operations is great news for Charleston and West Virginia and I applaud their decision. Senator Capito and I have been working with the Kanawha County Commission to advocate for the FAA to maintain 24 hour operations at Yeager.
“I am glad they listened and will continue to support the great work of Yeager’s Air Traffic Control team. While this is great news for Yeager, I know this fight is not over and I will work with the FAA to ensure that the Huntington Tri-State Airport will also keep their operations to provide support and security across our region as well.”