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For Immediate Release:
Hagerstown Regional Airport Control Tower to Remain Open
Contact:
Manager Washington County James Jenkins 240-313-2384 jajenkins@washco-md.net
(Hagerstown, MD — May 10, 2013) The FAA has announced the 149 federal contract air traffic control towers scheduled to close will now be funded through the end of the federal fiscal year. The Hagerstown Regional Airport control tower, which was slated to close June 15, 2013, will now remain open until September 30, 2013.
Today, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the Department of Transportation has determined that the recently enacted Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 will allow the FAA to transfer sufficient funds to end employee furloughs and keep the 149 contract towers open for the remainder of fiscal year 2013. The FAA will also put $10 million towards reducing cuts and delays in core NextGen programs and will allocate approximately $11 million to partially restore the support of infrastructure in the national airspace system.
This is great news for the County, and Washington County Government will continue to work with its partners to advocate for the indefinite solution to keep the control tower open. For additional information, contact Public Relations and Community Affairs Manager James Jenkins at 240-313-2384.er is not contacted by Direct Air they should contact the Direct Air Reservations Center at 1-877-432-3473.
Direct Air and Washington County officials intend to continue discussions and initiate planning efforts to return service to Myrtle Beach, SC and Lakeland, FL around November 1st. Airport Director, Phil Ridenour commented, “I truly wish to express my personal appreciation to those in the community who took advantage of the service and to assure them that commercial service to leisure destinations continues to be high on our priority list.”
Washington County has learned a lot about commercial travel trends out of Hagerstown during this past season and this will better position us to plan for and implement travel opportunities in the future. This low cost investment, using hotel-motel tax funding, by Washington County provided great opportunities for residents in the region.
For more information please contact Mr. Ed Warneck, President and Managing Partner for Direct Air at 843-916-9700 and Sarah Lankford, Director of Public Relations for Washington County at 240-313-2215.
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About Washington County, Maryland Government
Washington County, Maryland Government strives to fulfill its duty to the citizens of Washington County with regard to operational efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and responsiveness to the needs of the community. This vision is used to ably assist the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County in achieving goals for moving the County forward as present needs and future plans are addressed.
According to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, the Washington County General Fund has one of the lowest costs per capita for services provided of all 23 counties and Baltimore City. This is attributed to the efficiency, staffing levels, and cost containment exhibited in Washington County Government operations. Visit www.washco-md.net for more information.
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