LaGuardia tower to be taller

LaGuardia Airport’s (LAG) outmoded air traffic control tower will be rebuilt taller and wider with Federal Aviation Administration funding, Sen. Charles Schumer (D -NY) announced recently.
Designed to improve airport safety and cut flight delays at the Flushing facility, the new tower is expected to soar over 250 feet, or 70% higher than the current one. Aided by new equipment, the tower will help ease crippling flight delays by improving take-off and landing visibility, and controlling runway traffic more efficiently.
As recently as 2000, LaGuardia Airport led the nation in major airport delays.
Construction is expected to start this summer, and the $60 million project is scheduled for completion by November, 2009. “The best use for this money is investing in the safety and efficiency of an airport that serves over 26 million passengers a year,” Schumer declared. The project had been in the planning stage for the past 15 years.
The unique shape and small size of LAG’s 42-year old tower presents built-in safety concerns and airport efficiency limitations. While technology is constantly improving, new and larger, state-of-the-art equipment cannot be installed in the undersized tower. Schumer pointed to leaks developing in the tower because of the constant installation and removal of oversized equipment on the tower’s roof.
Construction of the taller tower will also facilitate the installation of a Category II Instrument Approach system, which helps aircraft landing during inclement weather. This equipment is vital to control a few of LAG’s runways which are partially obstructed by the U.S. Airways terminal.
A pleased Councilman John Liu, who chairs the City Council’s Transportation Committee, declared, “At long last, we are seeing real investments going back into LaGuardia Airport.”
LaGuardia Airport is one of the nation’s busiest airports, and its 8,000 employees accommodate over 70,000 passengers during an average day. The delay-prone facility generates $11 billion into the city’s economy.