Willard Airport, one of only two university-owned airports in the nation, appears to be unfazed by the recent proposal to close the Institute of Aviation. But losing the institute’s training flights may pose issues for the airport’s operations in the future.

According to figures cited by the Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois project team on Aviation, the takeoffs and landings through the institute’s Professional Pilot Program account for as much as 80 percent of the total traffic at Willard Airport. In part of its report, the project team concluded that the institute’s aircraft operations were directly related to the level of service provided to Willard Airport via the control tower operated by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.

Yet the financial well-being of the airport has little to lose with the potential closure of the institute, according to Willard Airport Manager Steve Wanzek.

“The impact is minimal,” Wanzek said. “There’s no issue with the institute leaving and losing commercial traffic.”

Wanzek said the activity of commercial airlines, such as American Airlines, should not be affected by a decline in flight-training traffic.

“As far as the flying public is concerned, there will be no change,” he said.

But the closure of the institute may have indirect consequences. Though the airport is owned and operated by the University, it is the FAA that makes decisions regarding how the control tower is staffed and funded.

In recent years, Willard Airport requested from the FAA a second Instrument Landing System for one of their runways, which helps airplanes land during inclement weather. This can be as simple as a tailwind that makes landing difficult for pilots.

Currently, the FAA is planning to relocate the radar room for Willard, which monitors aircraft out of sight of the control tower to an existing facility in Elgin, Ill. Karl Jensen, a traffic controller at Willard and spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said a loss in traffic would weaken the case to keep the radar facility at Willard, as well as acquire another runway upgrade.

“It’s pretty much a moot point if the flight school is not going to be there,” Jensen said.

Cole Goldenberg, student senator for Aviation, said if the FAA reduces funding based on less traffic, it may reduce the tower’s hours of operation, narrowing the window of time commercial airlines can land.

“If there’s no controller, they can’t land, which will cause American Airlines to start pulling out their service,” Goldenberg said.

Larry Wixom, air traffic manager at Willard’s control tower, said the effects of the institute’s closure are uncertain.

“Right now it’s too soon to tell,” Wixom said as to whether its closure would affect the control tower’s operations. “But I’d be surprised if it doesn’t.”

Elizabeth Cory, an FAA spokeswoman, said the adjustments to staff cannot be made until the University makes its decision regarding the Institute of Aviation.

“We staff to traffic, and we will continue to do so,” Cory said. “We will study traffic under a series of months … There’s no reason to change right now.”