It is - sort of. Private employer. Airport pays for the tower. Certainly better and safer than no tower, which is the case at many small airports in the United States. Part of the FAA Contract Tower program, which began as the FAA privatizing their least busy (level 5) federal towers in 1982. Direct result of the 1981 controllers’ strike which led to staffing shortages and the potential closure of some towers.
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/mission_support/faa_contract_tower_program Staffing at many FCTs over the years has not been great. Incentive is for companies to cut costs. But DOT IG has largely been complimentary and supportive of the FCT program. FYI - NATCA represents the controllers at 171 of the 256 FCTs, including Minot: https://www.natca.org/federal-contract-tower-air-traffic-controllers/ -Doug Church On Wed, Jul 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM Tom Ronell via Mifnet < mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> wrote: > > Sounds "privatized" to me: > > > "The FAA said Monday that a private company services the Minot air > traffic control tower, and that the controllers there aren't FAA employees. > It is one of 265 airport towers nationwide that are operated by companies, > but the roughly 1,400 air traffic controllers at these smaller airports > meet the same qualification and training requirements as FAA controllers at > larger airports, the agency said." > > ------------------------------ > > *From: *Jack Keady via Mifnet <mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> > *To: *David Wardell via Mifnet <mifnet@lists.mifnet.com> > *CC: *Jack Keady <jjke...@aol.com> > *Date: *Jul 23, 2025 22:30:34 > *Subject: *[Mifnet 🛰 73265] controllers too busy? > > keady > > Air traffic controllers didn't warn a B-52 bomber crew about a nearby > airliner, the Air Force says > > Air traffic controllers at a small North Dakota airport didn't inform an > Air Force bomber's crew that a commercial airliner was flying in the same > area, the military said, shedding light on the nation's latest air safety > scare. A SkyWest pilot performed a sharp turn, startling passengers, to > avoid colliding with the B-52 bomber that he said was in his flight path as > he prepared to land Friday at Minot International Airport. Jack Dura & > Margery A. Beck/Associated Press > <https://ytezitcab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0016A9EkDdVgUrrJ0zxStsr74INeK_UNuMhRDGKnTiP2I-knMlMKJdOsWWUQ-WRjkvzpnvUo3b4saxpWFxgbXH7ZQ7ShiS87GjWGiHaopNKOKlrPdozIfXuLbQm1hOvAbPs4snMi47zhII8NYmd067MIFxxQf6NEIexzKMUgLF4TIlxJV3yBlw0vc3_cKQw4-WL6f6-BwjA0-yO4nQS8M2NlBfMSFh46gtlVHQNysdBUP4nLzRF6gbKMT8BHGlQ2s4e&c=hzbLD2E4mGg9kVgVuzqqQ1_GCDC3ITVSGfMDt6gCPHf16XAuDNPTag==&ch=luIHzoIwYHaiFGsOYkSgPDFajvMwIAPebgVBrI6AGFqH2bxq8YaY_w==> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Revised: 20250507 > > You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. > > The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't > exactly cost-free. If you'd care to make a small contribution to the > effort, please know that it would be greatly appreciated: > https://wardell.us/url/mifbit > > All posts sent to the list should abide by these policies: > > 1) List members acknowledge that participation in Mifnet is a > privilege--not a right. > 2) Posts are always off the record, absent specific permission from the > author. > 3) The tone of discussions is collegial. > 4) Posts are expected to be in reasonably good taste. > 5) We discuss ideas and not personalities, and we don't speak ill of other > Mifnet members. > > * The Mifnet WEB SITE is: > https://www.mifnet.com/ > > * To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list at any time please visit: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > OR: SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: > mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=leave > > * Send Mifnet mailing list POSTS/SUBMISSIONS to: > mifnet@lists.mifnet.com > > * You may reach the person managing The Mifnet at: > mifnet-ow...@lists.mifnet.com > > * Please consider the DIGEST version of The Mifnet, which consolidates all > list traffic into 1-3 > messages daily. See instructions at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > > * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/ > > * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: > mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=help > > * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: > https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies > > * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: > https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems > > * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: > https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/mifnet@lists.mifnet.com/ >
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revised: 20250507 You are receiving The Mifnet because you requested to join this list. The Mifnet is largely a labor of love, however the infrastructure isn't exactly cost-free. If you'd care to make a small contribution to the effort, please know that it would be greatly appreciated: https://wardell.us/url/mifbit All posts sent to the list should abide by these policies: 1) List members acknowledge that participation in Mifnet is a privilege--not a right. 2) Posts are always off the record, absent specific permission from the author. 3) The tone of discussions is collegial. 4) Posts are expected to be in reasonably good taste. 5) We discuss ideas and not personalities, and we don't speak ill of other Mifnet members. * The Mifnet WEB SITE is: https://www.mifnet.com/ * To UNSUBSCRIBE from this list at any time please visit: https://lists.mifnet.com/ OR: SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=leave * Send Mifnet mailing list POSTS/SUBMISSIONS to: mifnet@lists.mifnet.com * You may reach the person managing The Mifnet at: mifnet-ow...@lists.mifnet.com * Please consider the DIGEST version of The Mifnet, which consolidates all list traffic into 1-3 messages daily. See instructions at: https://lists.mifnet.com/ * Manage your personal Mifnet SUBSCRIPTION at: https://lists.mifnet.com/ * For a list of all available Mifnet commands, SEND THIS MESSAGE via email: mifnet-requ...@lists.mifnet.com?subject=help * View The Mifnet LIST POLICIES and PRIVACY POLICY at: https://mifnet.com/index.php/policies * View instructions for Mifnet DELIVERY PROBLEMS at: https://mifnet.com/index.php/delivery-problems * View The Mifnet LIST ARCHIVE at: https://lists.mifnet.com/hyperkitty/list/mifnet@lists.mifnet.com/
