Salisbury Airport secures federal funding for control tower upgrades

SALISBURY, Md. – The Salisbury Airport is getting a major financial boost from the federal government, receiving an almost $127k grant to bring in new equipment.

Airport director, Tony Rudy said the money will help upgrade one key area of the airport: the control tower.

“The airport owns the tower, and we own the equipment with it,” Rudy said. “Most of the equipment is 20-25+ years old, so it’s a time to swap it out.”

The initial grant funding will go towards the design and bidding process for control tower equipment.

Rudy said nearly everything will be upgraded, from the radios to the displays, all to the tune of $1.3 million, which the airport will apply for next year.

“It’s reached the end of its useful life, so we’ve been pretty lucky,” Rudy said. “It’s been reliable; there’s been some things we’ve had to replace and repair over the years, but now it’s just time to upgrade this to your typical, standard, state-of-the-art equipment.”

With plans already underway, Rudy said the money will help the airport continue to put safety at the forefront.

“I’m looking forward to having more reliable equipment or not having to worry about equipment starting to fail in a year or two,” Rudy said.