FAA Delays Date of Tower Closures

FAA Delays Date of Tower Closures

April 5, 2013
“This has been a complex process and we need to get this right,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The closure of 149 air traffic control towers across the country will be delayed by 2-1/2 months.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration announced today the closures, which were set to begin April 7, would be delayed until June 15.

Initially planned as a phased  four-week process, the closures now all will occur simultaneously, the FAA said.

The FAA in March said it would cut funding for the federal contract air traffic control towers after sequestration forced the agency to slash $637 million from its budget.

The FAA opted for the delay in order to handle legal challenges to the decision and to give the agency additional time to work with airports to make the necessary changes.

“This has been a complex process and we need to get this right,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Safety is our top priority. We will use this additional time to make sure communities and pilots understand the changes at their local airports.”

Airport authorities and stakeholders for about 50 of the airports impacted by the closures have expressed interest in funding the tower operations themselves and are interested in joining the FAA’s non-federal contract tower program, the FAA said.

“We will continue our outreach to the user community to answer any questions and address their concerns about these tower closures,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.

About the Author

Ginger Christ | Ginger Christ, Associate Editor

Focus: Workplace safety, health & sustainability.

Call: 216-931-9750

Connect: Google+ LinkedIn | Twitter

Ginger Christ is an associate editor for EHS Today, a Penton publication.

She has covered business news for the past seven years, working at daily and weekly newspapers and magazines in Ohio, including the Dayton Business Journal and Crain's Cleveland Business.

Most recently, she covered transportation and leadership for IndustryWeek, a sister publication to EHS Today.

She holds a bachelor of arts in English and in Film Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.

 

 

Sponsored Recommendations

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!