Letter to FAA Administrator Babbitt from the TEB Industry Working Group

November 4, 2009

The Honorable J. Randolph Babbitt
Administrator
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C.  20591

Dear Administrator Babbitt:

As you may know, in 2006 the Teterboro Airport (TEB) Industry Working Group assembled a diverse group of aviation industry professionals who are using the airport.  The mission of the TEB Industry Working Group is to bridge the interests of the aviation community and airport neighbors proactively and voluntarily, and to offer practical and workable local solutions that address the unique nature of TEB.  Comprising experienced aviation experts representing TEB’s fixed base operators, airport users and tenants, and national and local aviation industry associations, the TEB Working Group is the first all-industry group to step forward to work with its owner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Congressman Steve Rothman to address community concerns.   

Teterboro Airport, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the country, shares some of the most crowded airspace in the world, being located just outside New York City, NY.  Over the last several years, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has invested nearly $100 million on a variety of safety improvement projects at TEB, including new taxiways, lighting improvements, and the installation of a new Engineered Material Arresting System.

As members of the TEB Industry Working Group, we would like to raise a critical safety issue confronting the airport: the need for the FAA to prioritize the construction of a new air traffic control tower at the airport.  The existing air traffic control tower was constructed in the early 1970s and went into operation on October 29, 1975.  At that time, the tower was built only as a temporary facility.  The tower is now more than 30 years old and in desperate need of replacement.  A new tower would enhance safety and reduce delays at the airport by improving the air traffic controllers’ line of sight, increasing their view of the airfield, which is partly obstructed, and equipping the tower with the latest, state-of-the art technology.  For years, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has asked the FAA to make this a priority within the agency’s Capital Plan priority list, but to no avail, as TEB continues to remain a low priority for the replacement of the existing air traffic control tower.

We strongly encourage the FAA to make TEB a priority to receive a new air traffic control tower.  In doing so, safety would surely be enhanced and delays reduced at the airport.

Sincerely,