Northern News Now

By Mitchell Zimmermann

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Pete Stauber announced $10 million will go to Duluth International Airport to improve its air traffic control tower.

According to a news release from the lawmakers, the project will replace the current air traffic control tower which was built in 1950s.

“Duluth International Airport’s air traffic control tower is one of the oldest in the country and needs an upgrade, which is why I pushed for this funding,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar, a Democrat, partnered with Representative Pete Stauber, a Republican, to secure a grant for the project.

The funding comes from the Airport Terminal Program, one of three aviation programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The Duluth International Airport is a key driver for our local economy, and these funds will go a long way in making it safer and more competitive for the 21st century in addition to creating a suitable environment for the next generation of aircraft for the 148th Fighter Wing,” Stauber said.

Tom Werner, the executive director of the Duluth Airport Authority said, “We couldn’t ask for better champions for our aviation economy in Northeast Minnesota.”

Both Klobuchar and Stauber sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2023 requesting expedited reviews and approvals for the Duluth International Airport to apply for grant funding to build a new air traffic control tower.

Recently, the Airport Authority, backed by the city of Duluth, asked the state of Minnesota for $14 million to help pay for a $66 million tower replacement project.