NEW AIRPORT MANAGER BEGINS JOB HERE

Even the clouded future of Cape Girardeau Regional Airport's traffic-control tower couldn't dampen the spirits of Greg Chenoweth.

On Monday, Chenoweth, 38, began his new job as the city's airport manager while still handling some last-minute business from his former job as manager of the Hutchins, Kan., airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration is considering closing 23 air-traffic control towers at non-hub airports nationwide, including the one at Cape Girardeau.

The city currently operates the tower, with the FAA reimbursing the city for the $170,000 cost.

One alternative is that the city could assume the cost of operating the tower.

But Chenoweth isn't ready to push the panic button.

"The FAA has really not said anything official yet," he said.

At Monday night's city council study session at city hall, Councilman Richard Eggimann said he was "so discouraged" to read a newspaper account about the possible closing of the airport tower.

"Again, we have negative PR," he said.

Eggimann questioned if city officials were simply reacting to rumors when they discussed the issue with a Southeast Missourian reporter Friday.

But Assistant City Manager Doug Leslie said the FAA has had internal discussions about closing some airport towers such as Cape Girardeau's.

A tower is an important safety feature for an airport. But Chenoweth said losing an air-traffic control tower isn't a "death knell" for an airport.

Chenoweth prefers to focus on the positive: increased ridership on the Trans World Express computer airline flights out of Cape Girardeau.

He said he would like to see boardings increase to 1,000 a month.