FAA Announces Closure of 149 Air Traffic Control Towers

FAA Announces Closure of 149 Air Traffic Control TowersToday, the FAA released a list of 149 air traffic control towers at regional airports around the United States. According to the information released, the ATC towers will be closed in a phased approach, beginning on April 7th, and continuing over a 4 week period.

The closure of the control towers are a result of the spending cuts required of the department as part of sequester action from congress. A small bit of good news from the FAA was that 40 air traffic control towers, originally slated for closure were spared.

According to the FAA, the number of closures was reduced from the original target of 189 towers. The towers closed are reportedly at airports with low- or moderate-volume of air traffic. The closure will mean the lay-off of thousands of air traffic controllers and other support personal.

In total the FAA is trying to cut its $48 billion budget by close to $600 million as part of the sequester.

About D Robert Curry

D Robert Curry - with over 2 decades of experience in the IT sector and an avid aviator, Mr. Curry covers all Science & Technology and Aviation realted news stories. drcurry@newstaar.com