November 27, 2024
The FAA today released its long-awaited selections for companies to provide air traffic control services for the FAA Contract Tower Program. The move comes as the agency intends to reconfigure the service area map and usher in other notable changes for the FCT program.
As part of today's contract award, the FAA selected four companies to provide ATC services for the FCT program: Midwest Air Traffic Control Services, Robinson Aviation, Serco, and Ci2. All four companies have experience with the FCT program—the first three are the current service providers, and Ci2 has served as a subcontractor.
The FAA's decision means that the agency is sticking with companies with a long track record with the FCT program rather than picking companies outside the current program. The FAA's announcement reiterates that the "contracts period of performance consists of one 14-month base period, which includes a two (2) month phase in period, and six (6) one-year options."
New FCT Map: Despite the selection of familiar service providers, there are plenty of changes in store for the FCT program. First, the agency has redrawn the familiar FCT map. In June 2022, the FAA unveiled its plan to increase the number of service areas from seven to 10. A copy of the current FCT map and the new FCT map may be viewed here.
Today's announcement highlights the breakdown of which companies will be providing FCT services at the 10 new service areas:
New Staffing Requirements/Appropriations: Once fully implemented, the agency's new contract is expected to increase program costs, partly because it calls for increasing the minimum number of controllers from four to five and limiting how much time managers can spend controlling traffic. The changes come as USCTA has successfully convinced Congress to dramatically increase funding for the FCT program to accommodate rising costs and additional airports.
Both the House and the Senate versions of the Fiscal Year 2025 transportation spending bill propose massive increases for the FCT program as USCTA recommended. The Senate version of the bill includes $241 million for the FCT program—$35.6 million more than the $205.4 million that Congress approved in FY24.
The House version of the bill proposes an even larger increase for contract towers at $256 million in FY25—a whopping $50.6 million above the FY24 enacted level. The unprecedented funding levels in both bills would fund all 256 contract towers currently in the program and allow the FAA to add more airports next year.
What's Next? We expect that the FAA will implement the new FCT contract early next year. We will keep you posted as more details become available in the weeks ahead.