Control towers at 149 small airports to stay open

Source: Associated Press

Control towers at 149 small airports to stay open
By JOAN LOWY Associated Press
Posted: 05/11/2013 12:40:16 AM PDT
Updated: 05/11/2013 12:40:16 AM PDT

WASHINGTON—The Federal Aviation Administration is keeping open for now the 149 control towers at small airports that were slated to close as the result of governmentwide automatic spending cuts imposed by Congress.

The towers, which are operated by contractors for the FAA at low-traffic airports, had been scheduled to close June 15. They will now remain open at least through Sept. 30, the end of the federal budget year, the Transportation Department said Friday.

A bill hastily passed by Congress last month to end air traffic controller furloughs also makes enough money available to keep the towers open, the statement said. The bill gave the FAA authority to shift $253 million from accounts with unspent funds to keep controllers on the job. The furloughs at all FAA-operated airport towers and air traffic control facilities caused widespread flight delays across the country for nearly a week before Congress stepped in.

FAA officials have previously said they needed at least $200 million to eliminate the need for furloughs. The bill didn't require the FAA to spend the remaining funds on keeping towers at small airports open, but lawmakers said they anticipated the agency would use the money that way.


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