Years of toil by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) culminated lucratively on April 3 with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) clearing the North Texas Regional Airport (NTRA) to participate in the Federal Contract Tower Program, a move expected to save local taxpayers $300,000 per year.
“After several years of dealing with the Obama administration’s constant pushbacks, I’m proud that our hard work to get NTRA into the Federal Contract Tower Program has finally paid off,” said Rep. Ratcliffe about the FAA’s announcement.
Established more than 35 years ago, the FAA’s Federal Contract Tower Program allows the federal government to contract with private entities to provide air traffic control services at airports that record at least 100,000 flights a year.
Grayson County, Texas, where the NTRA is located, spends $300,000 annually to maintain the airport’s tower. Rep. Ratcliffe told the Grayson County Commissioners Court on April 3 that under the FAA program, “NTRA would receive approximately $550,000, which will actually allow for expanded airport hours and operations.”
By funding more manned operation hours at NTRA’s Perrin Field control tower, the FAA program allows NTRA to add on 20,000 flights per year, up from 80,000 to 100,000, to meet the rising needs of the population increase in northeast Texas, according to Rep. Ratcliffe’s staff.
“Since the Trump administration took charge, I’m glad we’ve made drastic progress on this important Northeast Texas priority at a much more efficient pace, so that the folks I’m proud to represent can start reaping the rewards of our long-fought battle,” the congressman said.
Rep. Ratcliffe also noted that NTRA’s participation in the program “wouldn’t have been possible without my staff’s tireless coordination with our home-state U.S. senators and their staffs, constant contact with the FAA” and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as collaboration with Grayson County officials, including Grayson County Judge Bill Magers and the consultancy, Texas Aviation Partners.