Dothan Airport Pleas Get Slapped Down, Tower To Close
By: Ken Curtis
Updated: March 22, 2013
The air traffic control tower at the Dothan Regional Airport has not been spared from a final closure list issued Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration. The tower, as well as 148 others, will close next month. Pleas to leave the tower operational were made earlier this month, with community and airport leaders citing a high volume of military air traffic.
The bad news is compounded after a company put plans on hold to locate an industry at the airport that could have employed more than 500 jobs. They cite the tower closing as the reason. It's not immediately clear if the industry might still locate here but there are ongoing negotiations. Mayor Mike Schmitz said funding for the tower could be paid for at the local level.
Dothan's tower was on a list released last month of more than 200 slated for closure. However, the list was not finalized until Friday to give time for the airports affected to provide input to the FAA.
The Tuscaloosa Regional Airport tower will also be shut down while the downtown tower in Mobile, on the initial list, appears to have been spared.
