YW Regional Airport tower escapes federal budget ax

VIENNA

The air-traffic control tower at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport is not on the list of 149 towers across the country to be closed.

Dan Dickten, airport director of aviation, says it’s the decision he expected, saying the fact that the Vienna airport was on an initial list “didn’t make any sense at all.”

The main reason it didn’t make sense is that the local tower serves not only commercial aircraft such as leisure flights by Allegiant Air but also military flights by the 910th Airlift Wing at the Air Force Reserve Station, Dickten said.

Vienna was the only tower in Ohio with that type of joint use on the initial closure list, he added.

Friday’s list contained three in Ohio — Cuyahoga County in Cleveland, Ohio State University in Columbus and Bolton Field in Columbus. They will close over a 4-week period beginning April 7.

For the complete story, read Saturday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.