Pascrell, Menendez, Booker Announce Major Federal Investment in Teterboro

New control tower will be landmark in increasing airport’s safety

PATERSON, NJ – Today, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee who served for a decade on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award a contract for the construction of a new air traffic control tower at Teterboro Airport. Walsh Construction Company will be tasked with designing and building the new tower and base building for Teterboro.

“This is an important investment for our region. Teterboro services hundreds of thousands of flights annually and plays a critical role in regional travel, so we must do more to maintain and increase its safety,” said Rep. Pascrell. “We all remember various accidents and incursions in and around the airport over the years. Our dedicated air traffic controllers have to contend with a severely cramped space with poor sightlines. Federal investment can help Teterboro Airport prevent tragic incidents and modernize its infrastructure for years to come. In Washington, I will continue to fight for federal support like this that helps increase safety standards for Teterboro Airport and its neighbors in Bergen County.”

“This grant is a key investment that will improve the safety and reliability of operations at Teterboro Airport,” said Sen. Menendez. “Modernizing our infrastructure is critical to the state’s economy. I will continue to support and push for this critical federal funding so we can improve our aging infrastructure, grow our economy, create jobs, and ensure New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.”

“The Teterboro Airport serves as a transportation hub that helps grow our economy, creates good jobs, and connects our state with the world,” said Sen. Booker. “Federal investments in New Jersey’s regional airports enhance safety measures while keeping passengers and our economy on the move.”

Rep. Pascrell is a consistent advocate in Washington for increased federal funding of New Jersey’s infrastructure and travel initiatives, helping secure hundreds of thousands in transportation grants and working to update our crumbling tunnels and bridges. He has also led the fight to advance the much-needed Gateway Tunnel Project amidst intentional delay by the Trump Administration. In 2015, Rep. Pascrell announced a $3 million federal grant to repair equipment at Teterboro Airport that was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy, as well as a $2.2 million grant to study the effects of noise pollution at the airport.

Rep. Pascrell has also been dedicated to expanding airplane safety. Following the tragic crash of Flight 3407 outside of Buffalo, N.Y. that killed 49 people including 12 New Jerseyans, Pascrell helped lead efforts in Congress that successfully imposed flight-experience requirements on all pilots. He has repeatedly ensured that those regulations are renewed. Since the creation of the safety requirements, the number of domestic plane crashes has plummeted.

###