The air traffic control tower at the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport will stay open. The Reducing Flight Delays Act restored funding to keep towers operating at 149 airports across the country. While the airports would have remained open, flight traffic would have been handled by other regional towers and potentially disrupt flight schedules. Tompkins County’s Airport Manager Robert Nicholas said the tower’s closure would have hindered the profitability of the airport. Tompkins County was especially concerned given the airport’s use by the business and education community. Representative Tom Reed said he was glad to help bring the needed funds to the Ithaca airport. The act only restored tower funding through Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal budget year.
