Amid FAA Shutdown Strains, Contract Towers Like Kissimmee Keep America’s Air Traffic Moving

Contract towers are air traffic control towers that are staffed by employees of private companies rather than by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees. The FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Program was established in 1982 to allow the agency to contract out the operation of certain towers. Contract Towers represent over half of all the Federal air traffic control towers in the United States and are supported by substantial funding from Congress. During the previous Fiscal Year, legislation was passed ensuring the contract towers in the National Airspace System were funded by the FAA through the current Fiscal Year. This process was established just after the previous government shutdown to ensure the solidity of the contract program for years to come.

The Kissimmee Tower is operated by employees of RVA Inc., one of the handful of companies awarded an air traffic control contract by the Department of Transportation, funded through the FAA. Though Kissimmee and other contract tower staff continue to receive pay for their work unlike their Federal employee counterparts, the operational tempo and volume has increased at many of the contract facilities during the government shutdown. With the reduction in airspace and service caused by the staffing issues at FAA facilities, and the reduction in commercial flights due to these restrictions, many General Aviation users have focused on utilization of the smaller airports in the nation to continue flight training and Air Taxi services. This increase is evident in the totals we tabulate daily here at Kissimmee and the analysis of previous years’ operational totals. Though the service level has decreased at the larger airports across the nation, the staff at Kissimmee and other contract facilities across the nation continue to provide service to users to the extent possible. Their dedication to service and passion for the career continues to add cohesion to the National Airspace System.