Control Tower Slated for Raleigh Exec After Initial FAA Approval
SANFORD, N.C. — Raleigh Exec has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for its Contract Tower Program, allowing flights to be managed soon by a trained air traffic controller based on airport grounds.
Under the agreement, Raleigh Exec must construct a permanent control tower that meets FAA requirements. Once construction is complete, the FAA will staff and operate the tower with contracted air traffic controllers.
Carter Keller, chairman of the Sanford-Lee County Airport Authority, which operates Raleigh Exec, said work is already underway to find a site on airport grounds for the control tower and to develop design specifications for construction. Once complete — perhaps as early as within three years — the project would further enhance safety and efficiency for the quickly expanding number of flights.
“Having an air traffic control tower will help aircraft moving in and out of the traffic pattern, and that will significantly enhance safety now and as our airport continues growing,” Keller said. “We also think it will create even more opportunity for companies looking for a place where they can avoid large commercial, passenger aircraft while still operating efficiently and safely.”
In addition to air traffic control towers it operates directly, the FAA currently has 265 air traffic control towers nationwide in its Contract Tower Program, which is a partnership between the FAA and local airports. All locations are selected after a cost-benefit analysis comparing the cumulative economic value of safety provided by the air traffic control services to the cost of providing those services.
The air traffic control tower would be just the latest project at this expanding airport.
Last fall, airport officials announced land purchases that significantly expanded the regional jetport, while enhancing safety and protecting the community’s long-term investment. Eight separate transactions over several months added 550 acres to the existing, 700-acre facility, bringing the current size of Raleigh Exec to roughly 1,250 acres.
Just last month, Raleigh Exec became the state’s first electric aircraft charging station in a project with Beta Technologies, holding a ceremony to mark the first time a charging station was used in North Carolina to power an electric aircraft. That ceremony took place next to the terminal, where a new bypass-taxiway is now under construction and steel is rising from the ground in a new phase of hangar construction.
Keller also said the airport is in the second phase of evaluation for U.S. customs services, which would allow Raleigh Exec to welcome and process international flights into the United States. In short, there’s a lot happening now.
“We’re thrilled to receive this FAA approval for an air traffic control tower,” he said. “It’s another milestone for Raleigh Exec and clear indication that the future here is very bright.”
# # # # #
About Raleigh Exec
Billed as a premier corporate gateway to the Research Triangle, Raleigh Exec Jetport is a general aviation airport serving corporate and recreational flights in a region of central North Carolina that includes Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Sanford, Pittsboro, Chatham Park and the Research Triangle Park. Raleigh Exec operates on 1,250 acres off of U.S. Highway 1, just 15 miles from the Raleigh Outer Beltline. It is home to corporate aircraft, the North Carolina Forest Service, many aviation-related businesses and one of the nation’s largest and most respected flying clubs. More information is available at raleighexec.com.