WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday, March 22 that 149 federal contract control towers will close beginning April 7 as part of the agency’s sequestration implementation plan.
“We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration.”
U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd), chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, said the agency could find savings elsewhere.
“I am deeply disappointed by FAA’s decision to close 149 contract towers in the coming weeks despite serious concerns from Congress, the aviation industry, local communities and the flying public. I believe FAA has the necessary flexibility to find $50 million in savings from these tower closures elsewhere within their $9.7 billion operations account,” LoBiondo said.
"Given the FAA’s first and most important mission is to ensure aviation safety, it is my expectation that a thorough safety risk assessment has been conducted for each and every proposed tower closure with input considered from airport personnel, the airlines, FAA staff, and other aviation operators.
The congressman said his committee has requested and is awaiting all information the FAA relied upon in making this decision, and suggested that politics might have something to do with the move.
“It is my concern that the Obama administration’s decision to close these towers is merely to fit their public relations narrative about sequestration rather than sound policy and management practices,” he said.
The FAA said in a news release that it would work with the airports and the operators to ensure the procedures are in place to maintain the high level of safety at non-towered airports.
In early March, FAA proposed to close 189 contract air traffic control towers as part of its plan to meet $637 million in cuts required under budget sequestration and announced that it would consider keeping open any of these towers if doing so would be in the national interest.
The agency has made the decision to keep 24 federal contract towers open that had been previously proposed for closure because "doing so would have a negative impact on the national interest."
An additional 16 federal contract towers under the “cost share” program will remain open because congressional statute sets aside funds every fiscal year for these towers. These cost-share program funds are subject to sequestration, but the required 5 percent cut will not result in tower closures.
Atlantic City airport tower spared from FAA closures
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