Air Traffic Control: Surveillance Radar Request for the Cherry Capital
Airport (Letter Report, 05/28/98, GAO/RCED-98-118).

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the benefit-cost
studies that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted for the
Cherry Capital Airport in 1994, 1996, and 1997, focusing on: (1) FAA's
decisionmaking process for installing surveillance radars at airports;
(2) the factors, including costs, benefits, and air traffic projections,
that FAA considered when conducting the 1994, 1996, and 1997 studies;
(3) the impact, if any, that air traffic projections developed by other
sources would have had on the results of the 1997 study; (4) actions FAA
has taken to address safety concerns at the airport; and (5) FAA's plans
to replace surveillance radars at airports with fewer total air traffic
operations than the Cherry Capital Airport.

GAO noted that: (1) FAA uses a multifaceted process to determine which
airports should get surveillance radars; (2) this process includes
completing a benefit-cost study, assessing an airport's need for a
surveillance radar compared with the needs of other airports, and
determining the availability of radar equipment or funds to purchase
needed radar equipment; (3) in its 1994 benefit-cost study for the
Cherry Capital Airport, FAA officials overstated the projected air
traffic growth; (4) this overstated growth was the primary reason FAA
concluded that the airport met its cost-effectiveness criteria; (5)
moreover, in 1994, FAA officials did not follow the agency's
decisionmaking process and prematurely concluded that the Cherry Capital
Airport qualified for a surveillance radar; (6) when conducting the
1994, 1996, and 1997 benefit-cost studies, FAA considered the potential
efficiency and safety benefits; (7) with the higher growth rate used in
the 1994 study, the benefits exceeded the costs of installing a
surveillance radar, so the Cherry Capital Airport met FAA's
cost-effectiveness criteria; but with the lower growth rate used in the
1996 and 1997 studies, it did not qualify; (8) the air traffic
projections were the most critical factors influencing the results of
FAA's benefit-cost studies; (9) to address the safety concerns, FAA
installed an automated display and information system at the Cherry
Capital Airport in 1997; (10) while the controllers told GAO that the
equipment can help them better manage air traffic and improve safety,
they have difficulty using it because information on aircraft
identification and altitude is sometimes unreadable on the display
monitor; (11) beginning in 1999, FAA plans to replace the existing
surveillance radars installed in the 1960s and 1970s at 101 airports as
part of its efforts to modernize its air traffic control system; (12)
seventy-five of the 101 airports had fewer total air traffic operations
in 1996 than the Cherry Capital Airport did; (13) although FAA conducts
benefit-cost studies and uses air traffic operations as a basis for
determining the cost-effectiveness of installing surveillance radars at
airports, agency officials did not conduct similar studies to determine
whether it would be cost-effective to replace existing radars at the 101
airports or to prioritize the replacement of the radars; and (14) FAA
has no plans to undertake such efforts because agency officials believe
that it would be very difficult to discontinue radar operations at an
airport because of the public's perception that safety would be reduced.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  RCED-98-118
     TITLE:  Air Traffic Control: Surveillance Radar Request for the 
             Cherry Capital Airport
      DATE:  05/28/98
   SUBJECT:  Airports
             Air traffic control systems
             Cost effectiveness analysis
             Radar equipment
             Transportation safety
             Evaluation criteria
             Information systems
IDENTIFIER:  FAA Airport Surveillance Radar Program
             FAA Terminal Automated Radar Display and Information System
             Cherry Capital Airport (Traverse City, MI)
             
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Cover
================================================================ COVER


Report to Congressional Requesters

May 1998

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL - SURVEILLANCE
RADAR REQUEST FOR THE CHERRY
CAPITAL AIRPORT

GAO/RCED-98-118

Air Traffic Control

(348046)


Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV

  ASR - airport surveillance radar
  FAA - Federal Aviation Administration
  TARDIS - Terminal Automated Radar Display and Information System

Letter
=============================================================== LETTER


B-278475

May 28, 1998

The Honorable Richard C.  Shelby
Chairman
The Honorable Frank Lautenberg
Ranking Minority Member
Subcommittee on Transportation
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate

The Honorable Frank R.  Wolf
Chairman
The Honorable Martin Olav Sabo
Ranking Minority Member
Subcommittee on Transportation
 and Related Agencies
Committee on Appropriations
House of Representatives

In 1994, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received requests
from Members of Congress, air traffic controllers, and local citizens
to install an airport surveillance radar at the Cherry Capital
Airport in Traverse City, Michigan, which is located in the upper
northwest corner of the state.\1 These groups anticipated that having
a radar located at the airport would help better manage air traffic
and, thus, improve safety and reduce aircraft delays.  In response to
the requests, FAA assessed the benefits and costs of installing a
surveillance radar at the airport.  Initially, in 1994, on the basis
of a benefit-cost study, the airport qualified for a radar; however,
the results of benefit-cost studies conducted in 1996 and 1997 showed
that the airport did not qualify for a radar, and therefore, it has
not received a radar to date.\2

As directed by the conferees on the Department of Transportation and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1998,\3 we
performed a detailed review of the benefit-cost studies that FAA
conducted for the Cherry Capital Airport in 1994, 1996, and 1997. 
Specifically, this report discusses (1) FAA's decision-making process
for installing surveillance radars at airports; (2) the factors,
including costs, benefits, and air traffic projections, that FAA
considered when conducting the 1994, 1996, and 1997 studies; (3) the
impact, if any, that air traffic projections developed by other
sources would have had on the results of the 1997 study; (4) actions
FAA has taken to address safety concerns at the airport; and (5)
FAA's plans to replace surveillance radars at airports with fewer
total air traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport. 


--------------------
\1 Air traffic controllers working for FAA use airport surveillance
radars to separate and control aircraft approaching and departing
airports within a 60-mile radius.  In the rest of this report,
airport surveillance radars are referred to simply as surveillance
radars. 

\2 FAA conducted three benefit-cost studies:  (1) What we refer to as
the 1994 study included air traffic projections that began in 1994;
this study was issued in March 1994.  (2) What we refer to as the
1996 study included projections that began in 1996; it was issued in
March 1997.  (3) What we refer to as the 1997 study included
projections that began in 1997; it was issued in October 1997. 

\3 House Conference Report No.  105-313 (October 7, 1997), p.  44. 


   RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1

FAA uses a multifaceted process to determine which airports should
get surveillance radars.  This process includes completing a
benefit-cost study, assessing an airport's need for a surveillance
radar compared with the needs of other airports, and determining the
availability of radar equipment or funds to purchase the needed radar
equipment.  In its 1994 benefit-cost study for the Cherry Capital
Airport, FAA officials overstated the projected air traffic growth;
this overstated growth was the primary reason FAA concluded that the
airport met its cost-effectiveness criteria.  Moreover, in 1994, FAA
officials did not follow the agency's decision-making process and
prematurely concluded that the Cherry Capital Airport qualified for a
surveillance radar.  Specifically, FAA headquarters and regional
officials did not assess the airport's needs relative to the needs of
other airports or consider the radar coverage already provided by a
nearby long-range surveillance radar.  According to FAA officials, if
they had considered other airports' needs and the existing radar
coverage when conducting the 1994 study, as required by the agency's
process, the Cherry Capital Airport would not have been considered
qualified for a surveillance radar.  In addition, the officials told
us that installing a surveillance radar at the Cherry Capital Airport
would not improve safety and would only duplicate existing radar
coverage. 

When conducting the 1994, 1996, and 1997 benefit-cost studies, FAA
considered the potential efficiency and safety benefits (such as
travelers' time saved because of the reduced delays to aircraft and
the lives saved because of the reduced risks of midair and terrain
collisions), estimated equipment and annual operating costs, and
projected air traffic operations (takeoffs and landings).  Although
FAA considered the appropriate factors when conducting the studies,
different equipment and operating costs and different air traffic
projections were included in the studies.  FAA officials could not
explain or provide documentation that showed why there were
differences among the costs included in the 1994 and 1996 studies. 
Documentation was available, however, for the 1997 study.  In
projecting annual air traffic, FAA officials estimated a 4.2-percent
average annual growth rate in the 1994 study and about a 1-percent
growth rate in the 1996 and 1997 studies.  With the higher growth
rate used in the 1994 study, the benefits exceeded the costs of
installing a surveillance radar, so the Cherry Capital Airport met
FAA's cost-effectiveness criteria; but with the lower growth rate
used in the 1996 and 1997 studies, it did not qualify.  FAA officials
were unable to explain how the projections in the 1994 study were
developed.  In all three studies, the projections overstated actual
air traffic thus far, particularly the 1994 study.  For example, the
123,957 actual air traffic operations reported for 1997 were
considerably less than the 152,000 operations projected in the 1994
study, the 130,078 projected in the 1996 study, and the 130,318
projected in the 1997 study. 

Because the air traffic projections were the most critical factors
influencing the results of FAA's benefit-cost studies, we obtained a
set of air traffic projections developed in 1996 and used by two
consulting firms for studies conducted for the Michigan Department of
Transportation and the Northwest Regional Airport Commission.  The
projections used by the firms were based on a higher annual rate of
growth for air traffic and a higher baseline of air traffic
operations than FAA's projections.  When we substituted the firms'
projections in the 1997 study, it resulted in the benefits exceeding
the costs and in the Cherry Capital Airport's meeting FAA's
cost-effectiveness criteria.  However, we found that FAA's air
traffic projections were a more appropriate basis for its decision on
whether to install a surveillance radar at the airport. 

To address the safety concerns, FAA installed an automated display
and information system at the Cherry Capital Airport in 1997 to help
controllers locate and identify aircraft approaching and departing
the airport.  While the controllers told us that the equipment can
help them better manage air traffic and improve safety, they have
difficulty using it because information on aircraft identification
and altitude is sometimes unreadable on the display monitor. 
According to FAA headquarters and regional officials, this problem
does not affect safety at the airport because, unlike a surveillance
radar, this additional equipment is only intended to be used as a
visual aid and not to control or separate aircraft.  Air traffic
controllers at the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center are
responsible for providing radar control and separation services to
aircraft approaching the airport until control of the aircraft is
switched to the Cherry Capital controllers. 

Beginning in 1999, FAA plans to replace the existing surveillance
radars installed in the 1960s and 1970s at 101 airports as part of
its efforts to modernize its air traffic control system. 
Seventy-five of the 101 airports had fewer total air traffic
operations in 1996 than the Cherry Capital Airport did.  In other
words, FAA will spend over $375 million to purchase replacement
radars for airports that have had low levels of air traffic.  This
cost does not include the additional expenditures for any auxiliary
equipment and infrastructure modifications required for effective
operation of the radars.  Although FAA conducts benefit-cost studies
and uses air traffic operations as a basis for determining the
cost-effectiveness of installing surveillance radars at airports,
agency officials did not conduct similar studies to determine whether
it would be cost-effective to replace existing radars at the 101
airports or to prioritize the replacement of the radars.  FAA
officials agreed that conducting these studies would be useful. 
However, they have no plans to undertake such efforts because agency
officials believe that it would be very difficult to discontinue
radar operations at an airport because of the public's perception
that safety would be reduced. 


   BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2

Surveillance radars allow air traffic controllers to manage aircraft
operating in the airspace around airports and to expedite the flow of
air traffic into and out of airports by reducing the separation
between aircraft.  Currently, radar coverage for the Cherry Capital
Airport is provided by a long-range surveillance radar in Empire,
Michigan, 20 miles away from the airport.\4 Although the radar is
located near the Cherry Capital Airport, its signals are transmitted
over 300 miles away to the Air Route Traffic Control Center in
Minneapolis, where the controllers there are responsible for using
instrument flight or radar rules to control the aircraft approaching
and departing the airport outside a 5-mile radius of the airport. 
Controllers at the Cherry Capital Airport use visual flight rules or
visual procedures to manage aircraft within the 5-mile radius during
the normal tower operating hours from 7 a.m.  to 10 p.m.  However,
aircraft are allowed to take off and land at the airport when the
tower is closed. 

FAA conducted a study in 1994 to assess the benefits and costs of
installing a surveillance radar at the airport.  The results showed
that the potential benefits of installing a radar exceeded the costs. 
Therefore, FAA concluded that the airport qualified for a radar. 
Because no radar was available and funds were unavailable to purchase
a new radar, FAA added the airport to a waiting list of other
qualifying airports.  At the request of Members of Congress, FAA
conducted another benefit-cost study in 1996 to determine whether the
airport still qualified for a radar.  The results of that study
showed that the costs exceeded the benefits, thereby disqualifying
the airport for a radar, and FAA removed the airport from its waiting
list of qualifying airports.  At our request, FAA conducted another
benefit-cost study in 1997 to determine whether the airport qualified
for a surveillance radar.  That study's results also showed that the
costs exceeded the benefits and that the airport did not qualify for
a radar. 


--------------------
\4 Air traffic controllers use the long-range surveillance radar to
control aircraft in terminal areas and to separate and control air
traffic en route between airports. 


   FAA'S DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
   FOR INSTALLING SURVEILLANCE
   RADARS AT AIRPORTS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3

FAA uses a multifaceted process to determine which airports should
get surveillance radars.  (See fig.  1.) First, FAA officials at the
airport identify an operational need--such as the need to reduce
delays to aircraft taking off and landing and the risks of midair and
terrain collisions--that they believe a surveillance radar would
satisfy.  They then submit a written request to the appropriate FAA
regional office. 

   Figure 1:  FAA's Process for
   Determining Which Airports
   Without Radars May Be Eligible
   for Surveillance Radars

   (See figure in printed
   edition.)

Second, FAA regional officials review the request to determine
whether an operational need exists, assess the airport's need
relative to those of other airports in the region, and prioritize all
airports within the region that have valid radar needs.  If regional
officials determine that a need exists, the request is forwarded to
FAA headquarters.  They also include an estimate of the equipment and
annual operating costs in the region's annual budget.  If they
determine that an operational need does not exist, the airport is no
longer considered a potential candidate for a surveillance radar. 

Third, FAA headquarters officials use the agency's Investment
Criteria for Airport Surveillance Radar, dated May 1983, to determine
whether an airport identified by the regional officials as a
candidate for a radar meets FAA's cost-effectiveness criteria. 
Specifically, the officials conduct a detailed study using
site-specific air traffic data, along with estimated equipment and
operating costs, to assess the potential benefits and costs for
installing a radar at the airport.  If the benefits exceed the costs,
further consideration is given to the request.  If the costs exceed
the benefits--that is, if the benefit-cost ratio is less than
1.0--the airport is no longer considered a potential candidate for a
surveillance radar. 

Fourth, FAA headquarters officials validate the operational needs by
considering, among other things, the level of air traffic operations
at the airport and the complexity of its airspace compared with those
of other airports nationwide.  If the officials conclude that a radar
is needed, the request is approved.  If FAA headquarters cannot
validate the operational needs, the airport is no longer considered a
potential candidate for a surveillance radar. 

Finally, if a radar is available from another airport where an
upgraded radar has been installed, or if funds are available to
purchase a new radar, the radar is acquired and installed at the
airport.  Otherwise, the airport is placed on a waiting list.  Once
radars or funds become available, however, FAA must determine whether
the airports on the waiting list still meet its cost-effectiveness
criteria by using the latest air traffic operations data.  Airports
that do not meet the criteria are no longer considered candidates for
a surveillance radar. 

In addition to the radar requests initiated by FAA airport and
regional officials, the Congress may mandate that a surveillance
radar be installed at an airport.\5 If the Congress designates funds
with the mandate, the request does not have to follow FAA's
decision-making process.  If the Congress does not designate funds,
however, the request must follow the process, according to FAA
headquarters officials.  The Congress has mandated that FAA install
surveillance radars at eight airports.  These airports are included
in appendix I. 

Although FAA's decision-making process was in place in 1994, agency
officials did not follow it before concluding that the Cherry Capital
Airport qualified for a radar.  For example, after conducting the
1994 benefit-cost study and determining that the airport met FAA's
cost-effectiveness criteria, agency officials prematurely concluded
that Cherry Capital qualified for a radar.  They did not assess the
airport's operational needs relative to the needs of other airports
or consider the radar coverage already provided by the long-range
surveillance radar nearby in Empire, Michigan.  According to FAA
officials, if these factors had been considered, the Cherry Capital
Airport would not have qualified for a surveillance radar. 

The officials also told us that even if the airport had a
benefit-cost ratio of 1.0 or greater, it still would not get a
surveillance radar because other airports have greater operational
needs and the airport already receives better radar coverage than
many airports that have surveillance radars on site.  They added that
if a radar was installed at the airport, its signal would most likely
be transmitted to another air traffic control facility where other
controllers would be responsible for controlling aircraft approaching
and departing the Cherry Capital Airport, an arrangement similar to
the present one at the airport. 


--------------------
\5 For this report, FAA references to Congressional mandates are
referring to committee and conference reports directing FAA to
install radars at particular airports. 


   FACTORS FAA CONSIDERED WHEN
   CONDUCTING BENEFIT-COST STUDIES
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4

In accordance with its decision-making process, FAA used its
investment criteria to identify the factors to consider when
conducting the 1994, 1996, and 1997 benefit-cost studies for the
Cherry Capital Airport.  The officials calculated benefit-cost ratios
of 1.66 in 1994, 0.68 in 1996, and 0.78 in 1997, which resulted in
the airport meeting FAA's cost-effectiveness criteria in 1994, but
not in 1996 and 1997.  We found that an overstatement of air traffic
growth was the primary reason the airport met the investment criteria
in 1994. 

FAA officials considered the potential efficiency and safety
benefits, estimated the equipment and annual operating costs, and
projected air traffic operations when conducting the benefit-cost
studies.  To calculate the efficiency and safety benefits of
installing a surveillance radar, FAA considered travelers' time saved
because of the potential reductions in the delays to aircraft and the
lives saved and injuries avoided because of the reductions in the
risks of midair and terrain collisions.\6 To compute the benefits
represented by reduced delays to aircraft and collision risks, FAA
used projections of air traffic operations at the airport, the
average time required for aircraft takeoffs and landings, and the
percentage of time that weather conditions at the airport would
require controllers to use radar to manage the air traffic.  To
compute the equipment and annual operating costs, FAA estimated the
costs for the acquisition and installation of the radar and the
annual costs for controller and support staff salaries, training,
utilities, and for maintenance.  The benefits and the annual
operations and maintenance costs were estimated over a 15-year period
and discounted to the present time using the discount rate published
by the Office of Management and Budget. 

FAA used both national and site-specific data to compute the benefits
and costs.  For example, the values for travelers' time saved, lives
saved, and injuries avoided were national data published annually by
the Department of Transportation.  The estimated costs for acquiring
the radar were FAA's purchase price for the surveillance radar plus
other necessary equipment and personnel training costs.  The
projections of air traffic operations were specific to the Cherry
Capital Airport. 

Although the results of benefit-cost studies depend on several
factors, FAA officials told us that the projections of air traffic
operations--particularly aircraft operations controlled by instrument
flight or radar rules--were the most critical factors because they
affect the level of benefits that would be achieved as a result of
having a surveillance radar at the airport.  They commented that
there was a direct correlation between the projections of air traffic
operations and the benefits--as air traffic increases, so do the
potential for delays to aircraft and the risks of collision, and,
thus, the benefits of installing a radar at the airport also
increase.  In particular, we found that FAA's criteria give more
weight to aircraft, such as air carriers and commuter aircraft, that
carry the largest number of passengers because the higher the number
of passengers, the greater the potential efficiency and safety
benefits to be achieved from saving travelers' time and avoiding
collisions that could cause injuries and deaths.  Therefore,
according to FAA headquarters officials, the potential efficiency and
safety benefits calculated for having a surveillance radar at the
Cherry Capital Airport, which is mainly a general aviation airport,
would be less than those calculated for airports that service a
larger number of commercial air carriers and commuter aircraft. 


--------------------
\6 FAA counts delays to aircraft as the number of times takeoffs are
postponed 15 minutes or longer beyond scheduled departures at a given
airport. 


      EQUIPMENT AND OPERATING
      COSTS DIFFERED IN THE
      BENEFIT-COST STUDIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.1

FAA considered the installation of the same type of surveillance
radar in all three of its studies on the Cherry Capital Airport.  We
found, however, that the estimated equipment costs in the 1997 study
were over $8 million higher than the costs included in the other
studies.  Specifically, the equipment costs in the 1994 and 1996
studies totaled about $12.9 million and $13.5 million, respectively;
whereas, the equipment costs totaled $22 million in the 1997 study. 
In contrast, the annual operating costs in the 1994 and 1996 studies
totaled $611,000 and $677,000, respectively, compared with $167,000
in the 1997 study.  FAA could not explain why such significant
differences existed in the cost figures or provide documentation to
support the costs included in the 1994 and 1996 studies.  They did,
however, provide support for the costs included in the 1997 study. 
FAA headquarters officials speculated that the costs differed because
the 1994 and 1996 studies only included the costs for a surveillance
radar and not the costs for the necessary auxiliary equipment. 


      AIR TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS
      DIFFERED IN THE BENEFIT-COST
      STUDIES
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.2

To develop the air traffic projections in the 1996 and 1997 studies,
FAA officials considered the historical air traffic growth at the
Cherry Capital Airport and the mix of aircraft using the airport.  As
shown in table 1, they assumed that air traffic at the airport would
grow, on average, about 1 percent annually.  The FAA officials were
uncertain about how the higher projections in the 1994 study were
developed.  They told us that the original projections were probably
based on historical data, but were adjusted upward based on input
from headquarters, regional, and district officials to reflect a
4.2-percent projected average annual growth rate, also shown in table
1.  We could not determine the basis for the adjustments because FAA
did not maintain supporting documentation.  Nevertheless, FAA
headquarters and regional officials, as well as the FAA officials and
controllers at the Cherry Capital Airport, all agreed that the 1994
projections were overstated. 



                                         Table 1
                         
                             Projected Air Traffic Operations
                          Included in FAA's Benefit-Cost Studies

                    1994 study                1996 study                1997 study
             ------------------------  ------------------------  ------------------------
                Number of  Percentage     Number of  Percentage     Number of  Percentage
Year           operations    change\a    operations    change\a    operations    change\a
-----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  ----------
1992              114,000          \b            \b          \b            \b          \b
1993              124,000         8.8            \b          \b            \b          \b
1994              133,000         7.3            \b          \b            \b          \b
1995              143,000         7.5            \b          \b            \b          \b
1996              148,000         3.5       128,704         1.1            \b          \b
1997              152,000         2.7       130,078         1.1       130,318         1.5
1998              157,000         3.3       131,087         0.8       131,801         1.1
1999              162,000         3.2       132,281         0.9       133,277         1.1
2000              166,000         2.5       133,478         0.9       134,742         1.1
2001              172,000         3.6       134,585         0.8       136,199         1.1
2002              178,000         3.5       135,694         0.8       137,648         1.1
2003              183,000         2.8       136,806         0.8       139,089         1.0
2004              189,000         3.3       137,919         0.8       140,547         1.0
2005              194,000         2.6       138,943         0.7       141,997         1.0
2006                   \c          \c       139,969         0.7       143,438         1.0
2007                   \c          \c       141,173         0.8       144,875         1.0
2008                   \c          \c       142,384         0.9       146,476         1.1
2009                   \c          \c       143,601         0.9       148,069         1.1
2010                   \c          \c       144,825         0.9       149,658         1.1
Projected                        4.2%                      0.9%                      1.1%
 average
 annual
 growth
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a The percentages show the change in operations (takeoffs and
landings) from the previous year. 

\b Not applicable. 

\c The study only included air traffic projections up to 2005. 

Source:  FAA's Terminal Area Forecast Quick Reports. 

For the 1996 and 1997 studies, FAA based its projections on actual
air traffic growth at the airport over the 10-year periods preceding
the 1996 (1986 through 1995) and 1997 (1987 through 1996) studies. 
As shown in table 2, the actual annual growth of air traffic from
fiscal year 1986 through fiscal year 1996 ranged from an increase of
22.5 percent to a decrease of about 6.5 percent.  According to FAA
officials, the large increase in air traffic in fiscal year 1987 was
due to the introduction of new air carrier service at the airport. 
Because the officials did not expect such a large increase in air
traffic to reoccur in future years, they excluded the surge in air
traffic in fiscal year 1987 from the air traffic projections in the
1996 and 1997 studies.  Therefore, the resulting average annual
growth rate used in the 1996 and 1997 studies was about 1 percent. 
Also, as illustrated in tables 1 and 2, the 128,704 projected air
traffic operations included in the 1996 study more closely tracked
the 128,419 actual operations that occurred in 1996 than the 148,000
operations projected in the 1994 study.  Even so, the 123,957 actual
air traffic operations reported for fiscal year 1997 were
considerably less than the 152,000 projected in the 1994 study, the
130,078 projected in the 1996 study, and the 130,318 projected in the
1997 studies. 



                                Table 2
                
                  Actual Air Traffic Operations at the
                Cherry Capital Airport From 1986 Through
                                  1997

                                         Number of          Percentage
Year                                    operations              change
------------------------------  ------------------  ------------------
1986                                        95,626                  \a
1987                                       117,143              22.5\b
1988                                       126,472                 8.0
1989                                       127,522                 0.8
1990                                       120,264                -5.7
1991                                       121,842                 1.3
1992                                       113,875                -6.5
1993                                       114,789                 0.8
1994                                       124,000                 8.0
1995                                       127,341                 2.7
1996                                       128,419                 0.8
1997                                       123,957                -3.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
\a Not applicable. 

\b According to data obtained from FAA, the large increase in air
traffic in 1987 was due to the introduction of air carrier service at
the airport. 

Source:  FAA's Terminal Area Forecast Quick Reports. 


   IMPACT OF OTHER AIR TRAFFIC
   PROJECTIONS ON THE 1997
   BENEFIT-COST STUDY
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :5

Since air traffic projections were the most critical factors
influencing the results of the benefit-cost studies for the Cherry
Capital Airport, we requested air traffic projections developed by
the state of Michigan and Traverse City transportation planning
officials to determine what impact their projections would have had
on the results of FAA's 1997 study.  We found, however, that the
state and local officials relied routinely on FAA's air traffic
projections and, therefore, that using their projections would not
have had any impact on the 1997 study results. 

We did, however, identify another set of air traffic projections
developed in 1996 (based on 1994 actual air traffic data), which had
been used by two consulting firms.  The firms used the projections in
studies conducted for the Michigan Department of Transportation and
the Northwestern Regional Airport Commission to identify facility
improvements needed at the Cherry Capital Airport, such as expanding
the terminal building and parking areas.  The projections the firms
used were based on a higher annual air traffic growth rate and a
higher baseline of air traffic operations than FAA's projections. 
Whereas FAA projected an average annual growth rate of 1 percent in
its 1996 and 1997 studies, the firms projected a growth rate of about
1.5 percent.  Also, FAA's actual air traffic count of 124,000 for
1994 included only aircraft operations that were managed by the
Cherry Capital and the Minneapolis controllers.  The firms added
18,000 operations to FAA's air traffic count by including an estimate
of aircraft operations that were not managed by the controllers
because they occurred at Cherry Capital when the tower was closed. 
While the firms' count might have been appropriate for determining
facility needs, FAA's count was more appropriate for determining
radar needs. 

Nonetheless, we asked FAA to conduct a benefit-cost study using the
firms' projections to determine the impact on the 1997 study.  When
the air traffic projections developed by the firms were used, they
produced a benefit-cost ratio of 1.35, which exceeded the minimal
threshold for meeting FAA's cost-effectiveness criteria to qualify
for a surveillance radar.  However, as mentioned previously, FAA
officials told us that even if the airport were to achieve a
benefit-cost ratio of 1.0 or greater, it still would not get a
surveillance radar because other airports have greater operational
needs and the airport already receives better radar coverage than
many other airports that have surveillance radars. 


   ACTIONS FAA HAS TAKEN TO
   ADDRESS SAFETY CONCERNS AT THE
   CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :6

In response to the safety concerns raised by Members of Congress and
controllers at the Cherry Capital Airport, such as the greater risk
of aircraft collisions that results from increased air traffic, FAA
installed a Terminal Automated Radar Display and Information System
(TARDIS) in 1997 to help the controllers locate and identify aircraft
approaching or departing the airspace around the airport.  The TARDIS
is a commercial, off-the-shelf system that consists of a computer,
monitor, and software costing about $23,000.  Although the system
displays data, such as aircraft speed and altitude, received directly
from the surveillance radar in Empire, Michigan, the Cherry Capital
controllers can only use it as a visual aid and cannot use it to
control or separate aircraft.  According to FAA regulations, the
Cherry Capital Airport controllers can only use visual procedures or
visual flight rules to track aircraft. 

Controllers at the Cherry Capital Airport told us that the TARDIS has
helped them manage air traffic better, but that they have had
difficulty using it.  They said that, on occasion, the information
the TARDIS has displayed on aircraft identification and altitude, for
example, has overlapped and has sometimes been unreadable. 

FAA headquarters and regional officials agreed that the data display
problem exists occasionally but said that it is not unique to the
TARDIS at the Cherry Capital Airport.  They commented that the
problem does not compromise safety at the airport because the
additional equipment is only intended to be used as a visual aid and
not to control air traffic.  Moreover, the Minneapolis controllers
use the radar in Empire to track aircraft flying under instrument
flight rules until control of the aircraft is switched, via radio
contact, to the Cherry Capital controllers.  The switch usually
occurs within a 5- or 10-mile radius of the airport.  Also, FAA's
regulations require that pilots contact the Cherry Capital
controllers prior to entering the airport's airspace.  According to
the officials, the TARDIS provides two benefits to the Cherry Capital
controllers--enhanced traffic monitoring capabilities and data
directly from the radar in Empire.  Even if the automated system at
the Minneapolis facility fails, the TARDIS would still receive data
from the Empire radar. 


   FAA PLANS TO REPLACE
   SURVEILLANCE RADARS AT AIRPORTS
   WITH FEWER TOTAL AIR TRAFFIC
   OPERATIONS THAN THE CHERRY
   CAPITAL AIRPORT
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :7

Beginning in 1999 and continuing through 2004, FAA plans to retire
all of the older airport surveillance radars (ASR), specifically
ASR-7 and ASR-8, which were installed in the 1960s and 1970s.  These
radars, currently located at 101 airports, will be replaced as part
of FAA's efforts to modernize its air traffic control system with
new, technologically advanced ASR-11 radars, which cost over $5
million each.\7 During our review, we found that 75 of the 101
airports scheduled to have their radars upgraded had fewer total air
traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport in 1996 and that
FAA will spend well over $375 million to purchase replacement radars
for these airports.  This cost does not include the additional
expenditures for auxiliary equipment and for the modifications to
airport infrastructure required for the effective operation of the
radars. 

We noted that FAA officials routinely conduct benefit-cost studies
using air traffic operations as one of the critical factors in
deciding whether it would be cost-effective to install surveillance
radars at airports without radars.  Yet FAA officials did not conduct
similar studies to determine whether it would be cost-beneficial to
replace all of the existing ASR-7 and ASR-8 radars, to prioritize
replacement of the radars, or to assess whether the circumstances
that initially warranted installation of the radars at the airports
had changed over the years.  The officials agreed that the results of
benefit-cost studies would be a relevant factor in deciding whether
to install the replacement radars.  But they said they have no plans
to conduct such studies because they believe that it would be very
difficult to discontinue radar operations at an airport found not to
qualify because the public's perception would be that safety was
being reduced, even if safety was not compromised and other
circumstances warranted the discontinuance of radar operations. 
FAA's past practice has been that once an airport gets a radar, it
qualifies for a replacement radar regardless of changes in the air
traffic or the other circumstances that initially warranted the
radar.  Although FAA has criteria for discontinuing radar operations,
the agency has never done so. 

FAA officials also explained that there may be other important
reasons, besides cost-effectiveness, for replacing or installing a
radar at an airport.  These reasons include an airport's location;
the complexity of the airspace surrounding an airport; the capacity
of an airport to serve multiple satellite airports; the capacity of
an airport to provide relief capacity to hub or major airports on an
as needed basis; and national security.  We asked FAA for
documentation of the operational needs that showed why the radars
were installed initially at the 75 airports with fewer total air
traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport that are scheduled
to have their radars replaced.  In response, FAA headquarters
officials contacted the airports to obtain information on the
rationale for installing the radars.  Among the reasons FAA provided
were that some of the airports provide radar services to the Air
National Guard, military bases, and multiple satellite airports or
serve as alternates for major airports or that the radars are the
only sources for radar coverage in mountainous areas.  FAA also cited
congressional interest as a reason for installing surveillance radars
at some airports.  We were unable to verify the validity of FAA's
rationales because FAA did not have records dating back to the 1960s
and 1970s to document why the radars were installed.  FAA's
information, however, shows that at some of the airports, the
circumstances that originally justified the installation of radars no
longer exist.  See appendix II for a list of the 75 airports and more
details about FAA's justifications for the initial installation of
the radars in 1960s and 1970s. 

Although installing and retaining radars at some of the airports with
fewer total air traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport
might be justified, conducting benefit-cost studies and revalidating
the operational needs would ensure that (1) radars are installed or
replaced first at the airports that have the greatest needs and (2)
FAA is not spending millions of dollars to replace radars when
continued operation of the existing radars might not be justified. 
Since FAA already has a process in place for conducting benefit-cost
studies, we believe that the time and costs associated with
conducting similar studies to determine the effectiveness of
replacing existing radars would be minimal. 


--------------------
\7 FAA initiated the modernization program in 1981 to enhance safe
and efficient air travel.  This program consists primarily of the
acquisition and installation of radar, automation, and communications
equipment. 


   CONCLUSIONS
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :8

An overstatement of projected air traffic growth was the primary
reason the Cherry Capital Airport met FAA's cost-effectiveness
criteria in 1994, and agency officials prematurely concluded that the
airport qualified for a surveillance radar.  FAA officials expected a
higher rate of growth for air traffic at the airport in future years,
and as a result, the potential benefits of installing a radar were
greater than the costs.  If FAA had included less optimistic air
traffic projections in its 1994 study, the Cherry Capital Airport
would not have met the agency's cost-effectiveness criteria. 
Furthermore, if FAA had followed its decision-making process by
assessing the airport's needs relative to other airports' needs and
considered the existing radar coverage, the airport would not have
been considered for a surveillance radar.  Even if the benefits
exceeded the costs, there was no guarantee that the airport would get
a radar because of the competing needs of other airports within the
region and the quality of service that the radar in Empire, Michigan,
already provides to the Cherry Capital Airport. 

Safety and confidence in the national airspace system are very
important, and several factors must be considered when making
decisions regarding the installation and replacement of surveillance
radars.  However, FAA's current plans to install replacement radars
without conducting benefit-cost studies and revalidating operational
needs may result in the agency spending millions of dollars to
replace radars at airports with fewer air traffic operations than the
Cherry Capital Airport, which does not meet FAA's cost-effectiveness
criteria for having a radar.  FAA's perceived difficulties in
discontinuing radar operations at an airport only elevate the need
for conducting benefit-cost studies and assessing the operational
needs.  We believe that conducting benefit-cost studies and assessing
operational needs before replacing the radars would allow FAA to
obtain the convincing data needed to ensure that the equipment is
installed at the airports that have the greatest needs and that FAA
could use the data to prioritize the installation of the radars at
qualifying airports.  In addition, conducting these analyses would
give FAA the opportunity to reassess the benefits and costs of
replacing the equipment and ensure that funds are not spent to
modernize radars at airports where continued radar operations might
not be justified. 


   RECOMMENDATION
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :9

Because of current budget constraints and the future expenditures
associated with installing radars as part of the effort to modernize
the nation's air traffic control system, we recommend that the
Secretary of Transportation direct the Administrator of the Federal
Aviation Administration to conduct benefit-cost studies to validate
the cost-effectiveness and revalidate the need for the radars at
airports scheduled to receive replacement radars and to use the
results of the studies in prioritizing the replacement of the radars
at qualifying airports.  Furthermore, the Federal Aviation
Administration should advise the Congress on the results of these
studies for its consideration during deliberations on the Department
of Transportation's budget request. 


   AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR
   EVALUATION
----------------------------------------------------------- Letter :10

We provided copies of a draft of this report to the Department of
Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration for review and
comment.  We met with Federal Aviation Administration officials,
including the Project Leader, Integrated Product Team/Terminal
Surveillance Program, Communications, Navigation, Surveillance, and
Infrastructure Directorate, Air Traffic Services; and Business
Manager, Integrated Product Team/Terminal Surveillance Program,
Office of Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance Systems,
Research and Acquisitions.  We also met with Department of
Transportation officials from the Offices of the Assistant
Secretaries for Administration and for Budget and Program
Performance.  The agencies generally agreed with the findings,
conclusions, and recommendation presented, but commented that we
should include information in the report on instrument flight rule
operations and ASR-9 radars located at airports that had fewer total
air traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport in 1996. 
Specifically, the agencies noted that instrument flight rule
operations may be a better indicator of the need for a radar at
airports than total air traffic operations and, thus, could have an
impact on the results of benefit-cost studies.  In addition, they
commented that some airports that currently have ASR-9 surveillance
radars, which were installed in the 1980s, also had fewer total air
traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport did in 1996. 
Although the Federal Aviation Administration currently has no plans
to replace these radars, the agencies noted that the equipment will
need to be replaced over the next 10 years.  The Federal Aviation
Administration reiterated that the results of benefit-cost studies
also could be used to revalidate the operational needs for the radars
before they are replaced.  However, the agency has no plans to
conduct such studies for these airports.  In response to the
agencies' comments, we included more detailed information about the
airports that currently have ASR-9 radars in appendix I and
information about airports' instrument flight rule operations in
appendix II.  The agencies also suggested several changes to improve
the accuracy and clarity of the report that we incorporated where
appropriate. 


   SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
----------------------------------------------------------- Letter :11

We performed audit work at FAA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.;
the Great Lakes Regional Office in Chicago; the Air Route Traffic
Control Center in Minneapolis; and the Cherry Capital Airport in
Traverse City, Michigan.  To determine what process FAA currently has
in place for determining which airports that do not have radars may
be eligible for surveillance radars, we interviewed officials at
FAA's headquarters, regional, and airport offices; and reviewed and
analyzed pertinent FAA criteria, regulations, procedural, and other
guidance documents. 

To identify the factors FAA considered when conducting the 1994,
1996, and 1997 benefit-cost studies, we analyzed the studies and
supporting documents, FAA's Investment Criteria for Airport
Surveillance Radar, dated May 1983, and other guidance documents for
conducting such studies.  We interviewed FAA headquarters officials
currently responsible for conducting benefit-cost studies.  We also
obtained information on the factors FAA considered when developing
air traffic projections, analyzed the projections, and compared
actual and projected air traffic operations.  In addition, we
interviewed representatives of local planning and public interest
groups located in the Traverse City area that were familiar with the
Cherry Capital Airport's air traffic operations to obtain information
on past and anticipated air traffic growth, the need for a
surveillance radar, and the safety concerns at the airport. 

To determine the impact other air traffic projections would have had
on the results of FAA's 1997 benefit-cost study, we interviewed FAA
officials and controllers working at the Cherry Capital Airport,
officials of the Michigan Department of Transportation and the
Traverse City Planning Commission, and representatives of two
aviation consulting firms.  We obtained air traffic projections from
the consulting firms and had FAA headquarters officials conduct
sensitivity analyses using the projections.  Although we evaluated
what impact the projections would have had on the results of the 1997
study, we did not evaluate the methodologies used by the consulting
firms to develop their projections because this was not part of the
scope of our review. 

To determine what actions FAA has taken to address the safety
concerns raised by Members of Congress, air traffic controllers, and
local citizens, we obtained information on the operational
capabilities of the TARDIS and on how the equipment is intended to be
used through interviews with FAA headquarters and regional officials,
the Cherry Capital controllers, and airport officials. 

In addition, we collected data from FAA that identified the airports
with fewer total air traffic operations than the Cherry Capital
Airport in 1996 that are scheduled to receive replacement
surveillance radars.  We discussed with FAA headquarters officials
the rationales for initially installing surveillance radars at the
airports and when the existing radars are scheduled to be replaced. 
However, we did not contact representatives at the airports to verify
the information provided by FAA headquarters officials.  We also
obtained data on airports that currently have ASR-9 radars and fewer
total air traffic operations than the Cherry Capital Airport. 

We performed our review from October 1997 through May 1998 in
accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. 


--------------------------------------------------------- Letter :11.1

We are providing copies of this report to interested congressional
committees; the Secretary of Transportation; the Administrator, FAA;
and the Members of Congress representing the Traverse City area.  We
will also make copies available to others on request.  If you or your
staff have any questions or need additional information about this
report, please call me at (202) 512-2834.  Major contributors to this
report are listed in appendix III. 

John H.  Anderson, Jr.
Director, Transportation Issues


AIRPORTS WITH ASR-9 RADARS THAT
HAD FEWER TOTAL AIR TRAFFIC
OPERATIONS IN 1996 THAN THE CHERRY
CAPITAL AIRPORT
=========================================================== Appendix I

                                        Operations in 1996
                                   ----------------------------
                                                          Total  FAA's rationale for
                                      Total\a      instrument\b  installing the radar
-----------  --------------------  ----------  ----------------  ------------------------
             Cherry Capital           128,419            27,594  \c
             (Traverse City, MI)

1            Nantucket Memorial       128,289            45,299  --Congressional mandate
             (Nantucket, MA)                                     in 1988

2            Theodore Francis         119,355           259,480  --Former military
             Green State                                         installation
             (Providence, RI)

3            Stewart                  117,366            36,151  --Provides support for
             International                                       military training
             (Newburgh, NY)                                      --Air route traffic
                                                                 control center does not
                                                                 have adequate coverage
                                                                 of the airspace

4            Portland                 115,032           132,210  --Provides support for
             International                                       Air Force and Navy
             (Portland, ME)                                      operations
                                                                 --Provides coverage and
                                                                 services for numerous
                                                                 satellite airports

5            Spokane                  114,767           172,448  --Former military
             International                                       installation
             (Spokane, WA)                                       --Provides coverage in
                                                                 mountainous terrain

6            Atlantic City            111,127           149,953  --Supports FAA Technical
             International                                       Center
             (Atlantic City, NJ)                                 --Provides support for
                                                                 the Department of
                                                                 Defense Air Defense
                                                                 Squadron
                                                                 --Provides support for
                                                                 FAA flight testing

7            Toledo Express           109,059           179,409  --Provides support to
             (Toledo, OH)                                        the Toledo industrial
                                                                 district

8            Grant County             106,154            30,777  --Congressional
             (Moses Lake, WA)                                    interest\d

9            Fort Wayne                99,335           149,124  --Congressional interest
             International
             (Fort Wayne, IN)

10           Roswell Industrial        95,426            24,925  --Congressional mandate
             Air Center                                          in 1991
             (Roswell, NM)

11           Gainesville               87,524            28,809  --Congressional mandate
             Regional                                            in 1988
             (Gainesville, FL)

12           Charlottesville-          80,697            27,774  --Congressional mandate
             Albermarle                                          in 1988
             (Charlottesville,
             VA)

13           Cedar Rapids              78,964           102,364  --Provides support for
             Municipal                                           air freight operations
             (Cedar Rapids, IA)                                  for northeast Iowa
                                                                 --Alternate base for the
                                                                 Des Moines Air National
                                                                 Guard
                                                                 --Provides support for
                                                                 Rockwell Collins
                                                                 Avionics Manufacturing

14           Harrisburg                78,161           183,124  --Provides coverage and
             International                                       services in challenging
             (Harrisburg, PA)                                    terrain environment

15           Walker Field              77,275            19,508  --Congressional mandate
             (Grand Junction, CO)                                in 1992

16           Yakima Air Terminal       73,968            22,995  --Congressional interest
             (Yakima, WA)

17           Huntsville                73,399           101,868  --Provides services to
             International-Carl                                  pilot training facility
             T. Jones Field                                      --Air route traffic
             (Huntsville, AL)                                    control center does not
                                                                 have adequate coverage
                                                                 of airspace

18           Mathis Field              72,279            24,222  --Congressional interest
             (San Angelo, TX)

19           Rogue Valley              68,891            21,824  --Congressional interest
             International
             (Medford, OR)

20           Tri-Cities                68,452            80,355  --Provides coverage in
             (Pasco, WA)                                         mountainous terrain

21           Rio Grande Valley         60,088            30,422  --Provides coverage for
             International                                       the Rio Grande Valley
             (Brownsville, TX)                                   for air carrier services
                                                                 provided to three
                                                                 airports
                                                                 --Radar signal is
                                                                 remoted to the terminal
                                                                 radar approach control
                                                                 facility in Corpus
                                                                 Christi

22           Lynchburg Regional-       52,129            19,903  --Congressional mandate
             Preston Glenn Field                                 in 1991
             (Lynchburg, VA)                                     --Radar signal will be
                                                                 remoted to the terminal
                                                                 radar approach control
                                                                 facility in Roanoke, VA

23           Fayetteville              47,417           180,897  --Provides support for
             Regional/Grannis                                    military operations
             (Fayetteville, NC)                                  --Provides tower air
                                                                 route traffic control
                                                                 services

24           Missoula                  46,714            15,444  --Congressional mandate
             International                                       in 1988
             (Missoula, MT)

25           Drake Field               44,283            31,781  --Congressional interest
             (Fayetteville, AR)

26           Columbia Regional         41,353            13,509  --Congressional interest
             (Columbia, MO)

27           Eastern West                  \e                \e  --Congressional mandate
             Virginia Regional-                                  in 1991
             Shepard Field                                       --Radar signal will be
             (Martinsburg, WV)                                   remoted to the terminal
                                                                 radar approach control
                                                                 facility at Dulles
                                                                 International Airport
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a Total operations are the number of takeoffs and landings by
different types of aircraft, such as commercial air carriers,
commuter, and general aviation, at the airports.  For example, the
Cherry Capital Airport is mainly a general aviation airport, whereas
some of the other airports have more air carrier and commuter air
traffic. 

\b Total instrument operations are the number of aircraft that passed
through the airports' airspace in addition to aircraft approaching
and departing the airports themselves.  Hence, total instrument
operations may exceed total airport operations because some airports
provide radar coverage to satellite airports. 

\c Not applicable. 

\d The term "congressional interest" does not necessarily refer to
radars installed as a result of congressional mandates. 

\e Not available. 

Source:  FAA. 


AIRPORTS WITH FEWER TOTAL AIR
TRAFFIC OPERATIONS IN 1996 THAN
THE CHERRY CAPITAL AIRPORT THAT
HAVE ASR-7 AND ASR-8 RADARS
SCHEDULED FOR REPLACEMENT
========================================================== Appendix II

                                 Operations in 1996
                           ------------------------------
                                                           FAA's
                                                           rationale for   Scheduled date
                                                    Total  installing the  for installing
                                  Total\a    instrument\b  radar                  radar\c
---------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------  --------------
           Cherry Capital         128,419          27,594  \d                          \d
           (Traverse
           City, MI)

1          Bishop                 125,957         112,128  --Alternate or       Jan. 2003
           International                                   reliever
           (Flint, MI)                                     airport for
                                                           Detroit
                                                           Metropolitan
                                                           Airport
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           corporate
                                                           travelers,
                                                           including
                                                           General Motors

2          Pensacola              121,576          95,709  --Provides           Apr. 2005
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Pensacola,                                     services for a
           FL)                                             large naval
                                                           flight
                                                           training
                                                           center

3          Reading                120,535          54,398  --                   July 2004
           Regional/                                       Congressional
           Spaatz Field                                    interest\e
           (Reading, PA)                                   --Radar was
                                                           installed
                                                           after an
                                                           accident

4          Fairbanks              119,455          50,625  --Provides           Oct. 2001
           International                                   coverage and
           (Fairbanks,                                     services for a
           AK)                                             military base
                                                           --Former Air
                                                           Force base

5          Mobile                 117,774         147,203  --Provides           Mar. 2003
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Mobile, AL)                                    services for a
                                                           military base
                                                           --Former Air
                                                           Force base

6          Lincoln                115,103          99,646  --Previously         Apr. 2001
           Municipal                                       provided
           (Lincoln, NE)                                   approach
                                                           control
                                                           services for
                                                           the Department
                                                           of Defense's
                                                           Strategic Air
                                                           Command Base

7          Capital City           114,532         165,022  --State              Aug. 2001
           (Lansing, MI)                                   capital

8          Mahlon Sweet           112,898          95,937  --Provides           Dec. 2003
           Field                                           coverage and
           (Eugene, OR)                                    services in
                                                           mountainous
                                                           terrain
                                                           --Flight
                                                           school at
                                                           airport
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           numerous
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Low-
                                                           visibility
                                                           airport during
                                                           winter months

9          Tallahassee            111,018         124,373  --                   Jan. 2004
           Regional                                        Congressional
           (Tallahassee,                                   interest
           FL)                                             --State
                                                           capital

10         Burlington             110,646         110,172  --Provides          Sept. 2001
           International                                   coverage and
           (Burlington,                                    services to
           VT)                                             the Air
                                                           National Guard
                                                           and military
                                                           bases

11         Gulfport-              110,441         104,411  --Provides           Oct. 2003
           Biloxi                                          coverage and
           Regional                                        services to
           (Gulfport, MS)                                  the Air
                                                           National Guard
                                                           and services
                                                           for military
                                                           bases

12         Springfield-           108,246          95,129  --Air route          Nov. 2001
           Branson                                         traffic
           Regional                                        control center
           (Springfield,                                   does not have
           MO)                                             adequate
                                                           coverage of
                                                           the airspace
                                                           --Formerly a
                                                           hub for Ozark
                                                           Airlines

13         Columbia               107,107         139,058  --Provides           Mar. 2002
           Metropolitan                                    coverage and
           (Columbia, SC)                                  services to
                                                           Air National
                                                           Guard base
                                                           --Airport has
                                                           capability to
                                                           provide air
                                                           route traffic
                                                           control
                                                           services

14         Akron-Canton           103,798         171,135  --                   July 2001
           Regional                                        Congressional
           (Akron, OH)                                     interest
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           corporate
                                                           travelers,
                                                           including
                                                           Goodyear
                                                           Corporation
                                                           and Timkin
                                                           Roller Bearing

15         Kalamazoo/             103,376         123,894  --Air National        May 2003
           Battle Creek                                    Guard base
           International
           (Kalamazoo,
           MI)

16         Capital                102,851         118,638  --                   July 2002
           (Springfield,                                   Congressional
           IL)                                             interest
                                                           --State
                                                           capital

17         Greater                101,727         161,041  --Provides           June 2003
           Rockford                                        coverage and
           (Rockford, IL)                                  services for
                                                           the Camp Grant
                                                           military base
                                                           --Provided
                                                           services for
                                                           military
                                                           training
                                                           flights
                                                           because
                                                           Chicago O'Hare
                                                           could not
                                                           accommodate
                                                           these
                                                           aircraft
                                                           -A hub for
                                                           United Parcel
                                                           Service

18         Roanoke                101,427          93,875  --Provides            May 2001
           Regional/                                       coverage in
           Woodrum Field                                   mountainous
           (Roanoke, VA)                                   terrain
                                                           --Air route
                                                           traffic
                                                           control center
                                                           does not have
                                                           adequate
                                                           coverage of
                                                           the airspace

19         Billings Logan         101,420          80,435  --Provides           June 2001
           International                                   coverage in
           (Billings, MT)                                  mountainous
                                                           terrain
                                                           --No long-
                                                           range
                                                           surveillance
                                                           radar coverage
                                                           available

20         Midland                 95,992         148,181  --Provides           Dec. 2002
           International                                   coverage and
           (Midland, TX)                                   services for
                                                           military
                                                           training

21         Savannah                95,472         147,046  --Former             Nov. 2002
           International                                   military base
           (Savannah, GA)

22         Monterey                95,140         132,296  --Former             Jan. 2005
           Peninsula                                       military base
           (Monterey, CA)

23         Blue Grass              94,166         118,464  --Provides           Dec. 2002
           (Lexington,                                     coverage to
           KY)                                             four satellite
                                                           airports

24         Youngstown              93,588         116,606  --                   Nov. 2002
           Warren                                          Congressional
           Regional                                        interest
           (Youngstown/                                    --Provides
           Warren, OH)                                     coverage and
                                                           services for
                                                           the Air Force
                                                           Reserves

25         Palm Springs            93,584         131,226  --                   Nov. 2004
           Regional                                        Congressional
           (Palm Springs,                                  interest
           CA)                                             --Provides
                                                           coverage in
                                                           mountainous
                                                           terrain

26         Abilene                 92,710         129,373  --Provides            May 2002
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Abilene, TX)                                   services to
                                                           the largest B1
                                                           bomber base
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           five satellite
                                                           airports

27         Lafayette               91,250         119,582  --Provides           Oct. 2001
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Layfayette,                                    services for
           LA)                                             military
                                                           practice
                                                           approaches
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           the largest
                                                           civil fleet of
                                                           helicopters

28         Hilo                    90,024          27,441  --Alternate          June 2004
           International                                   airport for
           (Hilo, HI)                                      Honolulu
                                                           --Island with
                                                           highest
                                                           terrain; heavy
                                                           rainfall area,
                                                           limited
                                                           visibility
                                                           --Stopover for
                                                           flights to and
                                                           from Australia
                                                           and New
                                                           Zealand

29         Bangor                  89,960          97,804  --Stopover            May 2001
           International                                   airport for
           (Bangor, ME)                                    flights from
                                                           Europe
                                                           --Alternate
                                                           airport for
                                                           Boston Logan
                                                           International

30         Joe Foss                89,481          61,011  --Air National       Nov. 2003
           Field                                           Guard fighter
           (Sioux Falls,                                   wing
           SD)                                             --Minihub for
                                                           air cargo
                                                           operations
                                                           --Largest city
                                                           in South
                                                           Dakota

31         Lovell Field            88,567         105,312  --Provides           Apr. 2004
           (Chattanooga,                                   services to 10
           TN)                                             satellite
                                                           airports

32         Yeager                  88,546         111,601  --                   Aug. 2002
           (Charleston,                                    Congressional
           WV)                                             interest
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports

33         Stockton                83,759         144,338  --FAA takeover       June 1999
           Metropolitan                                    of a
           (Stockton, CA)                                  Department of
                                                           Defense site

34         Jackson                 83,651         120,448  --Radar              June 2003
           International                                   installed when
           (Jackson, MS)                                   new airport
                                                           was built in
                                                           1963 to cover
                                                           growth in
                                                           general
                                                           aviation,
                                                           military, and
                                                           air carrier
                                                           traffic

35         Amarillo                83,516          93,312  --Provides           Apr. 2003
           International                                   coverage and
           (Amarillo, TX)                                  services to
                                                           the military
                                                           --Previously
                                                           provided
                                                           approach
                                                           control
                                                           services to
                                                           the Department
                                                           of Defense's
                                                           Strategic Air
                                                           Command base

36         Evansville              82,665         115,713  --Provides          Sept. 2002
           Regional                                        services to 12
           (Evansville,                                    satellite
           IN)                                             airports
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage and
                                                           services to
                                                           100 scheduled
                                                           air carriers
                                                           daily

37         Hector                  82,328          66,418  --Only airport       Apr. 2002
           International                                   with primary
           (Fargo, ND)                                     radar within
                                                           120 miles
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           the Air
                                                           National Guard

38         Cyril E. King           81,259          28,009  --Provides          Sept. 2004
           (Charlotte                                      coverage for a
           Amalie, VI)                                     combined air
                                                           traffic
                                                           control center
                                                           and terminal
                                                           radar approach
                                                           control
                                                           facility in
                                                           San Juan, PR

39         Michina                 80,442         142,492  --Provides           Aug. 2003
           Regional                                        services to 18
           Transportation                                  satellite
           Center                                          airports
           (South Bend,                                    --Alternate
           IN)                                             airport for
                                                           Chicago
                                                           O'Hare
                                                           --Provides
                                                           overflight
                                                           services to
                                                           and from
                                                           Chicago O'Hare

40         Pueblo                  77,564          30,655  --Possible            May 2002
           Memorial                                        congressional
           (Pueblo, CO)                                    mandate;
                                                           however, no
                                                           documentation
                                                           available
                                                           --Provides
                                                           support for
                                                           surrounding
                                                           restricted
                                                           military area
                                                           activities

41         Greater Peoria          73,629         142,829  --Provides           Jan. 2002
           Regional                                        services to
           (Peoria, IL)                                    four satellite
                                                           airports

42         Tri-Cities              73,030          96,664  --                   Feb. 2002
           Regional TN/                                    Congressional
           VA                                              interest
           (Bristol/                                       --Provides
           Johnson/                                        coverage in
           Kingsport, TN)                                  mountainous
                                                           terrain
                                                           --Moody
                                                           Aviation
                                                           trains bush
                                                           pilots for
                                                           missionary
                                                           work

43         Monroe                  72,574          98,891  --Provides           Mar. 2003
           Regional                                        services to 10
           (Monroe, LA)                                    satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Air route
                                                           traffic
                                                           control center
                                                           does not have
                                                           adequate
                                                           coverage of
                                                           the airspace

44         Gregg County            70,702          95,204  --Provides          Sept. 2003
           (Longview, TX)                                  coverage for
                                                           Longview and
                                                           Tyler, TX,
                                                           airports
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services for
                                                           oil industry
                                                           business jet
                                                           air traffic

45         Quad-City               70,500         102,407  --Provides           Aug. 2002
           (Moline, IL)                                    service to
                                                           corporate
                                                           travelers,
                                                           including John
                                                           Deere
                                                           Corporation

46         Muskegon                69,538          89,808  --Provides           Feb. 2002
           County                                          support for
           (Muskegon, MI)                                  air taxi and
                                                           military
                                                           approaches

47         Asheville               68,560         103,273  --Provides           Jan. 2004
           Regional                                        coverage in
           (Asheville,                                     mountainous
           NC)                                             terrain

48         Fort Smith              68,008         221,673  --Provides           June 2001
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Fort Smith,                                    services to an
           AR)                                             Air National
                                                           Guard base
                                                           --Provides
                                                           approach
                                                           control
                                                           services for
                                                           northwest
                                                           Arkansas,
                                                           including
                                                           Fayetteville,
                                                           AR

49         New Hanover             67,640         102,754  --Provides           July 2002
           International                                   services to
           (Wilmington,                                    four satellite
           NC)                                             airports and
                                                           to military
                                                           air traffic

50         Elmira/                 64,222          69,160  --Provides           Aug. 2003
           Corning                                         coverage in
           Regional                                        mountainous
           (Elmira, NY)                                    terrain
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Previously
                                                           provided
                                                           approach
                                                           control
                                                           services to
                                                           the Seneca
                                                           Army Air Depot

51         Austin                  64,042         120,557  --Provides           Oct. 2002
           Straubel                                        services to
           International                                   nine satellite
           (Green Bay,                                     airports
           WI)                                             --Third-
                                                           largest
                                                           approach
                                                           control
                                                           facility and
                                                           fourth-
                                                           busiest
                                                           airport in the
                                                           state

52         Duluth                  60,340          38,208  --Provides           Mar. 2004
           International                                   coverage and
           (Duluth, MN)                                    services to
                                                           the Air
                                                           National
                                                           Guard
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage and
                                                           services to
                                                           overflow and
                                                           diverted
                                                           traffic from
                                                           Minneapolis
                                                           --Previously
                                                           provided
                                                           services to
                                                           two Air Force
                                                           base squadrons

53         Greenville-             59,371         150,139  --                   Mar. 2002
           Spartanburg                                     Congressional
           (Greer, SC)                                     interest

54         Sioux Gateway           58,006          41,376  --Provides           June 2004
           (Sioux City,                                    coverage and
           IA)                                             services to
                                                           the Air
                                                           National Guard
                                                           and four
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports

55         Benedum                 57,524          51,607  --                   Dec. 2003
           (Clarksburg,                                    Congressional
           WV)                                             interest

56         Rochester               57,149          38,167  --Provides           Apr. 2004
           International                                   services for
           (Rochester,                                     the Mayo
           MN)                                             Clinic,
                                                           including
                                                           lifeguard
                                                           flights
                                                           --Alternate
                                                           airport for
                                                           Minneapolis
                                                           airport
                                                           --Airport has
                                                           one of the few
                                                           Global
                                                           Positioning
                                                           System
                                                           Heliport
                                                           instrument
                                                           approaches
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services for
                                                           large cargo
                                                           operations

57         Waterloo                56,476          48,589  --Provides           Apr. 2003
           Municipal                                       services to
           (Waterloo, IA)                                  the Air
                                                           National Guard
                                                           and satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Provides
                                                           tower air
                                                           route traffic
                                                           control
                                                           services

58         Columbus                56,372         106,848  --Provides           Aug. 2004
           Metropolitan                                    coverage and
           (Columbus, GA)                                  services to
                                                           Fort Benning
                                                           Military Base
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to 19
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Sequences
                                                           turboprops and
                                                           props into
                                                           Atlanta
                                                           Hartsfield

59         Wilkes Barre/           56,262          93,831  --                   Mar. 2004
           Scranton                                        Congressional
           International                                   interest
           (Wilkes Barre/
           Scranton, PA)

60         Great Falls             53,996          48,994  --Provides          Sept. 2002
           International                                   coverage and
           (Great Falls,                                   services to
           MT)                                             the Air
                                                           National
                                                           Guard
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage for
                                                           detecting and
                                                           interdicting
                                                           aircraft
                                                           involved in
                                                           illegal drug
                                                           activities

61         Myrtle Beach            52,637          82,573  --FAA takeover       Apr. 2002
           International                                   of a
           (Myrtle Beach,                                  Department of
           SC)                                             Defense site
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services for
                                                           military
                                                           practice
                                                           approaches

62         Bismarck                52,451          29,169  --                    May 2004
           Municipal                                       Congressional
           (Bismarck, ND)                                  interest
                                                           --State
                                                           capital
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services to
                                                           three
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage and
                                                           services to
                                                           the Air
                                                           National Guard

63         Tri-City                51,498          93,755  --Provides           Jan. 2003
           International                                   services in
           (Saginaw, MI)                                   restricted
                                                           military
                                                           airspace
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage for
                                                           air carrier
                                                           and air taxi
                                                           operations

64         Erie                    49,892          90,664  --Provides           Aug. 2001
           International                                   coverage in
           (Erie, PA)                                      mountainous
                                                           terrain
                                                           --Provides
                                                           service to
                                                           three
                                                           satellite
                                                           airports

65         Waco Regional           49,803          76,082  --Part of the        Dec. 2001
           (Waco, TX)                                      Dallas-Fort
                                                           Worth
                                                           Metroplex
                                                           --Provides air
                                                           traffic relief
                                                           services to an
                                                           air route
                                                           traffic
                                                           control center

66         Hulman                  49,548          94,353  --Provides           Oct. 2003
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Terre Haute,                                   services to
           IN)                                             the Air
                                                           National
                                                           Guard
                                                           --Indiana
                                                           State
                                                           University
                                                           student pilot
                                                           training
                                                           --Midnight
                                                           freight
                                                           operations

67         Jefferson               44,362          63,166  --Fills radar        Feb. 2004
           County                                          coverage gap
           (Beaumont/                                      for terminal
           Port Arthur,                                    radar approach
           TX)                                             control in
                                                           Houston

68         Natrona County          43,396          18,411  --                    May 2004
           International                                   Congressional
           (Casper, WY)                                    interest
                                                           --Provides
                                                           services for
                                                           oil industry
                                                           related air
                                                           traffic
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage in
                                                           mountainous
                                                           terrain

69         Binghamton              43,343          63,842  --Provides           July 2003
           Regional                                        coverage in
           (Binghamton,                                    mountainous
           NY)                                             terrain

70         Lake Charles            42,863          68,049  --Department         July 2003
           Regional                                        of Defense's
           (Lake Charles,                                  Air Defense
           LA)                                             Identification
                                                           Zone
                                                           --Military
                                                           practice
                                                           approaches
                                                           conducted at
                                                           the airport

71         Bush Field              42,054          74,672  --Host of            Oct. 2002
           (Augusta, GA)                                   Master's
                                                           Tournament
                                                           --Supports
                                                           increasing
                                                           corporate air
                                                           traffic

72         Middle Georgia          41,343         135,527  --Provides           July 2004
           Regional                                        coverage and
           (Macon, GA)                                     approach
                                                           control
                                                           services for
                                                           Middle Georgia
                                                           Regional and
                                                           Robbins Air
                                                           Force Base
                                                           --Provides
                                                           coverage and
                                                           services for
                                                           the military

73         Mansfield Lahm          39,618          56,150  --                   Feb. 2004
           Municipal                                       Congressional
           (Mansfield,                                     interest
           OH)                                             --Provides
                                                           coverage and
                                                           services for
                                                           the local Air
                                                           National Guard

74         Tri-State               38,786          79,139  --                  Sept. 2003
           (Huntington,                                    Congressional
           WV)                                             interest

75         Florence                34,337          69,170  --                   Feb. 2003
           Regional                                        Congressional
           (Florence, SC)                                  interest
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a Total operations are the number of takeoffs and landings performed
by the mix of aircraft, such as commercial air carriers, commuter,
and general aviation, using the airports.  For example, the Cherry
Capital Airport is mainly a general aviation airport, whereas some of
the other airports have more air carrier and commuter air traffic. 

\b Total instrument operations are the number of aircraft that passed
through the airports' airspace in addition to aircraft approaching
and departing the airports themselves.  Hence, total instrument
operations may exceed total airport operations because some airports
provide radar coverage to satellite airports. 

\c These are the scheduled installation dates as of February 1998. 

\d Not applicable. 

\e The term "congressional interest" does not necessarily refer to
radars installed as a result of congressional mandates. 

Source:  FAA. 


MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
========================================================= Appendix III

RESOURCES, COMMUNITY, AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Janet Barbee
Sharon Dyer
Wanda Hawkins
Mehrzad Nadji
John Thomson


*** End of document. ***