Cedar City to seek FAA contract-tower support, council agrees to send letter

Tyler Gillett, airport manager, told the council on Feb. 12 that the Cedar City Regional Airport has experienced growth in takeoffs and landings, a rising mix of aircraft types and training activity, and that the city has applied to the FAA27s Federal Contract Tower Program.

Gillett said the program, if the FAA deems the airport busy and at-risk enough, could fund air-traffic controllers through the contract program. He described a complex traffic environment that includes air tankers, commercial aircraft, private pilots and helicopters and said some users have expressed safety concerns about the current uncontrolled airspace. "We have submitted the application to the FAA to be in that program," Gillett said, adding that the city is also collecting letters of support and may seek state funding to build a tower. Gillett referenced St. George27s $15 million state appropriation as a comparable example.

Council members asked whether accomplishing both the FAA application and funding requests occur in sequence or in tandem; Gillett said the FAA application is generally reviewed before funding is awarded and that the city would have five years to construct the facility if accepted into the program.

Council agreed by consensus to send a letter of support to the FAA and Congresswoman Celeste Malloy and to continue public meetings on the airport master plan.

Next steps: staff will finalize the letter of support and continue outreach to stakeholders including the university aviation program, SkyWest Airlines and the National Guard, which Gillett said had already provided letters of support.