Announcements

The Office of Inspector General plans to review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Contract Tower Program.  Beginning with a pilot program in 1982 that has since expanded, FAA has been engaged in converting FAA-operated low-activity air traffic control towers to contract operations and instituting a cost-sharing program with local communities.  Our previous audits of the program have found that the program successfully provided safe, low-cost air traffic services to users and that the quality of those services was comparable to FAA-operated towers.  Congress recognized this in its report accompanying its Fiscal Year 2011 Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill but noted that continued funding for the program warrants another more recent review.  Therefore, our current audit objectives are to evaluate whether the program continues to have cost effectiveness, safety benefits, and overall value to users.