Push for air traffic control tower at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal to enhance safety for pilots
Gavin Nguyen
THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – A project to make the skies safer over the east valley is in the works.
A new air traffic control tower at the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (KTRM) in Thermal is in the works.
“Let me be very clear that the airport is not unsafe [but] having a tower helps to separate traffic and increase safety,” said Angela Jamison, the Director of Airports for Riverside County. “There is a need for aircraft separation at the Jackie Cochran Regional Airport and an air traffic control tower is the very best way to do that.”
State documents from April 2025 show the county proposed the project to help improve communication and safety:
The County proposed to construct a 448-square-foot octagonal Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) to enhance safety by improving communication among aircraft to reduce the risk of accidents, incursions, and other hazards.
As of July, the proposal had been approved through CEQA. The siting study was also approved, while the project’s NEPA study was submitted in February. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also approved the plan.
Early estimates for the cost of the project is at $24,000,000. Jamison said that number was found using the FAA’s estimate that each foot of tower costs between $155,000 and $175,000.
Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez’s office told News Channel 3 he would continue pursuing funding for the infrastructure project:
“Supervisor Perez has pushed for an air traffic control tower for Thermal, an infrastructure need that we have had for decades for the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport. The county’s application was granted approval from the FAA for an air traffic control tower for Thermal and the county has invested funds to get this project shovel-ready. We are seeking funding to construct it and will continue efforts to bring the tower about.”
Jamison said that the tower is still in its design phase and a contract is still yet to be awarded to a builder, but once it is complete, it would aid aircraft during the busy season.
From November through March, about 150 aircraft land and take off from the airport’s two runways each day.
“In those situations, it would be nice to have an air traffic controller keeping people apart from each other and regulating the flow of traffic,” said Mark Gershenson, the President of Palm Springs Aviators, an aviation group based in the valley.
He continued, “There is a certain comfort knowing that you’ve got radar and you’ve got a set of eyes looking out for you and keeping you apart from other planes.”
The summer months, though, feel a lot more empty. When I visited in mid-July, the airfield was quiet and empty aside from the occasional single-engine plane.
“If you go out there today or on the weekend, even at this time of year, the controller would be really bored,” said with a wry smile.
Despite this, both Gershenson and Jamison expressed that this project would be an overall benefit to east valley aviators. And while details remained slim, Jamison is eager to move forward with the project.
“You know, we’re very excited about bringing this to the area, but it’s just so early. There’s really not a lot to share just yet.”