Unresolved Federal Aviation Administration funding issues shouldn't affect a runway paving project at Springfield-Branson National Airport, an airport spokesman said Wednesday.
The airport plans to close at 11 a.m. Aug. 12 and reopen at 11 a.m. Aug. 15.
During that 72-hour period, crews will work around the clock to resurface the intersection area.
Only helicopters will be allowed to use the airport during that time.
Airport spokesman Kent Boyd said the FAA already is providing funds for the paving project.
"As project bills come in, the airport business manager logs into an FAA computer system and makes a request for a funds transfer," Boyd said. "He made such a request on Friday for about $400,000. The money was transferred on Tuesday."
Boyd said the airport does have a backup plan if the FAA stops making transfers.
"The airport will pay all incoming bills on its own and wait for the feds to pay us back," he said. "Bottom line: the runway project is not going to stop."
All the commercial airlines serving Springfield have "zeroed out" their flight schedules.
This means that it's impossible to book a flight to, or from, Springfield during the closing.
The FAA's operating authority -- and airlines' authority to collect $30 million a day in federal ticket taxes -- expired two weeks ago as the result of a legislative stalemate between the House and Senate.
Within 24 hours, most major airlines had raised their fares in amounts roughly equal to the FAA taxes passengers were no longer being charged.
Airline ticket taxes go into a trust fund that pays for the majority of the FAA's $16 billion budget.
The shutdown has forced the agency to furlough 4,000 workers, halt the processing of $2.5 billion in airport construction grants and issue stop work orders for nearly 200 construction projects, from airport control towers to runway safety lights.
Source: http://www.news-leader.com
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