FAA to Delay Airport Tower Closures
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will delay for two months the closure of 149 control towers at small airports to mitigate risks associated with the move and fight legal challenges to the closures. The closures, previously scheduled to begin on Sunday, are part of the FAA’s $637 million in required budget cuts under the sequester. All 149 towers, which are operated by third parties, will now close on June 15. Airports, tower operators and congressmen have criticized the FAA for the closures, saying they will make flying in and out of the affected airports more dangerous. The FAA has said that it has little discretion in what it can cut under the sequester, and that closing the towers would have a lesser impact on the flying public than alternative measures.
About 20 lawsuits filed against the U.S. challenge the closure of the towers, arguing the FAA didn’t follow required safety protocols—which include a safety review at each airport—before ordering the closures. The suits have been consolidated into one case in the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
The FAA said it is working with about 50 airports that may try to keep their towers open without federal funding.
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