Officials: Threatened FAA Towers to Remain Open

It’s great news if it happens, but we’re still waiting to get official word from the FAA,” sez Ogden Airport Manager Royal Eccles

Great news this morning for nervous Ogden-Hinkley Airport boosters, as both the Deseret News and the Standard-Examiner report that "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has assured lawmakers the Obama administration will prevent the closure of 149 small airport towers — including Ogden and Provo towers — as well as end furloughs of air traffic controllers nationwide as a result of legislation passed by Congress, according to officials involved in negotiations on the bill":

• Officials: Threatened FAA towers to remain open
• Hope for Ogden Airport Tower

In a posture quite uncharacteristic of Boss Godfrey-legacy featherbed appointees however, the Standard reports that Ogden-Hinkley Airport Manager Royal Eccles isn't counting his chickens before they're hatched, and is exercising extreme caution instead:

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Ogden-Hinckley Airport Manager Royal Eccles said he hadn’t received official confirmation from the FAA that the tower would be saved.
“It’s great news if it happens, but we’re still waiting to get official word from the FAA,” he said.

Whew!

C'mon folks. Who does Mr. Eccles think he's kidding? When Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood  assured lawmakers "the Obama administration will prevent the closure of 149 small airport towers as well as end furloughs of air traffic controllers nationwide," what does Mr. Eccles think he meant? Despite his cautionary language, you can bet your bottom dollar that Airport Manager Eccles is wearing a mile-wide skeet grin on his grill this morning. As a matter of fact, now might be just the right time to wander down to the Airport Terminal office and give Mr. Eccles a pat on the back, wethinks.

Unsure about Eccles's precise office location?  Listen for the sound of popping Champagne corks.

Okay... maybe popping Ginger Ale corks....