SEN COLLINS: DIVERTED PLANE ANOTHER ARGUMENT FOR KEEPING BIA OPERATING 24 HOURS A DAY

WASHINGTON, DC – On the same day that a plane from Paris to Boston was rerouted to Bangor International Airport (BIA) due to security concerns, Senator Susan Collins today expressed concerns over a proposal by the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down BIA's control tower between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. In her third letter to Administrator Marion Blakey regarding this issue this year, Senator Collins is asking the FAA to clearly define the criteria being used to determine which airports will have to close their control towers from midnight to 5:00 a.m. BIA's Airport Director, Rebecca Hupp, has shared similar concerns with Administrator Blakey.

"The plane diverted to BIA today highlights the importance of keeping the tower at BIA in operation 24 hours a day. Under the FAA's proposal, aircraft approaching the U.S. in the early morning hours would not have the ability to be rerouted to Bangor," Senator Collins said.

In her letter, Senator Collins wrote:

"Last year, BIA's control tower was very active during the early morning hours, with 292 flights landing at the airport between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. Airport officials note that those flights generated direct revenue of $871,000 for refueling, ground handling, and landing fees. They are concerned that the proposed control tower shut down would cause some airlines to leave the airport altogether, which could cost it as much as $3 million in lost revenue."

"Given the detrimental effect that closing the control tower between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. would have on BIA, I urge you to respond to Ms. Hupp's request and provide specific information regarding the criteria your agency is using to determine tower closure."

Further, in a February 17 letter to the FAA opposing the proposed closure of BIA's control tower, Senator Collins highlighted the airport's role in diverted planes, writing, "the airport is a designated diversion point for troubled aircraft, and, in recent years, a number of flights have been diverted to Bangor."

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