BEND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO SUBMIT GRANT APPLICATION FOR ATCT

The Bend Municipal Airport (BDN) has issued a request for a consultant and is expected to submit an application for a grant through the Central Oregon Area Commission on Transportation to provide support for the construction of an air traffic control tower. BDN ranks third on the list of Oregon’s top five busiest airports, but is the only airport on the list without an air traffic control tower. The airport was accepted as a candidate for the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) program last year and has a five-year window to complete the addition of the tower.

The tower project is estimated to cost $7.5 million and will require funding from the city of Bend as well as state and federal grants. Controllers at the tower will be privately contracted instead of staffed by FAA employees per the FCT program. The airport anticipates approval to be granted in early 2022 followed by the onset of tower construction to meet the fully operational requirement deadline by 2025.