The City of Buckeye is seeking federal funding for a temporary air traffic control tower at the Buckeye Municipal Airport, which continues to see increasing aircraft activity, according to city officials.
The plan is expected to go before the city’s elected leaders during Tuesday’s Regular Council Meeting – 6 p.m. at City Hall, 530 E. Monroe Ave. in downtown Buckeye.
Rob Roach, grant program and procurement manager with the City of Buckeye, prepared a grant request to go before a handful of federal legislators with the hope of securing funding in the FY27 federal budget, according to city documents made available to InBuckeye.com.
“This project will construct a temporary air traffic control tower at Buckeye Municipal Airport to address current safety risks associated with high-volume aircraft operations until a permanent tower facility is completed,” the language in the request states.
According to the request, Buckeye is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States and is “emerging as a major economic development hub within the Phoenix Metroplex.”
The local airport, which does not have a control tower, “has experienced significant increases in aircraft activity, with operational levels now comparable to many Arizona airports that already receive air traffic control services,” the document states.
According to city documents, the airport recorded 138,194 aircraft operations in 2025, “a level of activity that would rank approximately 115th nationwide among 527 airports with air traffic control towers.”
The city is estimating the total cost of the tower project at $1.5 million, of which $1.35 million would come from the federal budget. The city would cover the rest from its General Fund - which has not yet been budgeted, according to the grant request.
The city plans to build a permanent tower, however the Federal Aviation Administration says funding for air traffic controllers can’t be made available until “a facility is in place<” according to the application.
“A temporary air traffic control tower offers an immediate and practical approach to maintaining safe and efficient operations during this interim period,” the document states.
Airport Master Plan
The city is also expected to approve the Airport Master Plan, which serves as a “detailed 20-year blueprint for the Airport’s growth and development,” according to the City Council agenda packet.
The AMP is designed to align with “specific goals and objectives while ensuring full compliance with all applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations,” the agenda document states.
The Airport Master Plan covers the following:
- Operational needs
- Maintenance strategies
- Future improvements
- Development priorities
- Environmental stewardship
- Land use compatibility
- Sound financial management
City council members will hear details of the plan – which include changes to runway configurations and both pilot and passenger services – during Tuesday’s meeting.
2 Responses
No wonder the city council disbanded the Airport Advisory Committee last year.
why was my comment removed? The City Council did in fact vote to dissolve the Buckeye Airport Advisory Board.