Home Medical Factors Facing Pilots Aviation Stories Of Interest FAA Exam Aviation News Maintenance and Aircraft Mechanics General Aviation Helicopters
Aviation History Legal Issues In Aviation Links To Other Sites Editorials Hot Air Balloon Aviation Training Handbooks Read Online Upcoming Events Editorials

 



 
Rockefeller, Thune Urge The FAA To Address Safety In Control Tower Closures
 
By Steve Hall
 

April 12, 2013 - Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Ranking Member John Thune (R-S.D.) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation asking that the agency implement sequestration cuts using lower priority spending rather than close air traffic control towers across the country. 

The bipartisan letter was also signed by Senate Aviation Subcommittee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), as well as Representatives Bill Shuster (R-Penn.), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), and Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.).                            

In the letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta, the group said, “We are profoundly disappointed with the decision of the FAA to target 149 FAA contract control towers for closure on June 15. We ask that you identify lower priority spending elsewhere in the FAA’s budget for reduction…It is deeply troubling that the agency seems intent on proceeding with the closure of key air traffic control assets absent adequate safety data and study.”  

 

Rockefeller and Thune will hold a hearing on aviation safety on Tuesday, April 16 at 2:30 p.m., where Administrator Huerta is scheduled to testify. It will examine the consequences of sequestration on the FAA and the agency’s efforts to implement safety provisions in recent FAA reauthorizations.

On April 5, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it will delay the closures of all 149 federal contract air traffic control towers until June 15. Last month, the FAA announced it would eliminate funding for these towers as part of the agency’s required $637 million budget cuts under sequestration.

This additional time will allow the agency to attempt to resolve multiple legal challenges to the closure decisions. As part of the tower closure implementation process, the agency continues to consult with airports and operators and review appropriate risk mitigations. Extending the transition deadline will give the FAA and airports more time to execute the changes to the National Airspace System.

 

 

 

“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.” As of today, approximately 50 airport authorities and other stakeholders have indicated they may join the FAA’s non-Federal Contract Tower program and fund the tower operations themselves. This additional time will allow the FAA to help facilitate that transition.

“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. On March 22, the FAA announced that it would stop federal funding for 149 contract towers across the country. A phased, four-week closure process was scheduled to begin this Sunday, April 7. That phased closure process will no longer occur. Instead, the FAA will stop funding all 149 towers on June 15 and will close the facilities unless the airports decide to continue operations as a nonfederal contract tower.


FAA Contract Tower Closure List ID Facility Name City State
 
DHN DOTHAN RGNL DOTHAN AL
TCL TUSCALOOSA RGNL TUSCALOOSA AL
FYV DRAKE FIELD FAYETTEVILLE AR
TXK TEXARKANA RGNL-WEBB FIELD TEXARKANA AR
GEU GLENDALE MUNI GLENDALE AZ
GYR PHOENIX GOODYEAR GOODYEAR AZ
IFP LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD INTL BULLHEAD CITY AZ
RYN RYAN FIELD TUCSON AZ
FUL FULLERTON MUNI FULLERTON CA
MER CASTLE ATWATER CA
OXR OXNARD OXNARD CA
RAL RIVERSIDE MUNI RIVERSIDE CA
RNM RAMONA RAMONA CA
SAC SACRAMENTO EXECUTIVE SACRAMENTO CA
SDM BROWN FIELD MUNI SAN DIEGO CA
SNS SALINAS MUNI SALINAS CA
VCV SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOGISTICS VICTORVILLE CA
WHP WHITEMAN LOS ANGELES CA
WJF GENERAL WM J FOX AIRFIELD LANCASTER CA
BDR IGOR I SIKORSKY MEMORIAL BRIDGEPORT CT
DXR DANBURY MUNI DANBURY CT
GON GROTON-NEW LONDON GROTON (NEW LONDON) CT
HFD HARTFORD-BRAINARD HARTFORD CT
HVN TWEED-NEW HAVEN NEW HAVEN CT
OXC WATERBURY-OXFORD OXFORD CT
APF NAPLES MUNI NAPLES FL
BCT BOCA RATON BOCA RATON FL
EVB NEW SMYRNA BEACH MUNI NEW SMYRNA BEACH FL
FMY PAGE FIELD FORT MYERS FL
HWO NORTH PERRY HOLLYWOOD FL
LAL LAKELAND LINDER RGNL LAKELAND FL
LEE LEESBURG INTL LEESBURG FL
OCF OCALA INTL-JIM TAYLOR FIELD OCALA FL
OMN ORMOND BEACH MUNI ORMOND BEACH FL
PGD PUNTA GORDA PUNTA GORDA FL
SGJ NORTHEAST FLORIDA RGNL ST AUGUSTINE FL
SPG ALBERT WHITTED ST PETERSBURG FL
SUA WITHAM FIELD STUART FL
TIX SPACE COAST RGNL TITUSVILLE FL
ABY SOUTHWEST GEORGIA RGNL ALBANY GA
AHN ATHENS/BEN EPPS ATHENS GA
LZU GWINNETT COUNTY - BRISCOE FIELD LAWRENCEVILLE GA
MCN MIDDLE GEORGIA RGNL MACON GA
RYY COBB COUNTY- MCCOLLUM FIELD ATLANTA GA
DBQ DUBUQUE RGNL DUBUQUE IA
IDA IDAHO FALLS RGNL IDAHO FALLS ID
LWS LEWISTON-NEZ PERCE COUNTY LEWISTON ID
PIH POCATELLO RGNL POCATELLO ID
SUN FRIEDMAN MEMORIAL HAILEY ID
ALN ST LOUIS RGNL ALTON/ST LOUIS IL
BMI CENTRAL IL RGNL ARPT AT BLOOMINGTON- NORMAL BLOOMINGTON/ NORMAL IL
DEC DECATUR DECATUR IL
MDH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
CARBONDALE/
MURPHYSBORO IL
UGN WAUKEGAN RGNL CHICAGO/ WAUKEGAN IL
BAK COLUMBUS MUNI COLUMBUS IN
GYY GARY/CHICAGO INTL GARY IN
HUT HUTCHINSON MUNI HUTCHINSON KS
IXD NEW CENTURY AIRCENTER OLATHE KS
MHK MANHATTAN RGNL MANHATTAN KS
OJC JOHNSON COUNTY EXECUTIVE OLATHE KS
TOP PHILIP BILLARD MUNI TOPEKA KS
OWB OWENSBORO-DAVIESS COUNTY OWENSBORO KY
PAH BARKLEY RGNL PADUCAH KY
DTN SHREVEPORT DOWNTOWN SHREVEPORT LA
BVY BEVERLY MUNI BEVERLY MA
EWB NEW BEDFORD RGNL NEW BEDFORD MA
LWM LAWRENCE MUNI LAWRENCE MA
ORH WORCESTER RGNL WORCESTER MA
OWD NORWOOD MEMORIAL NORWOOD MA
ESN EASTON/NEWNAM FIELD EASTON MD
FDK FREDERICK MUNI FREDERICK MD
HGR HAGERSTOWN RGNL- RICHARD A HENSON FLD HAGERSTOWN MD
MTN MARTIN STATE BALTIMORE MD
SBY SALISBURY-OCEAN CITY WICOMICO RGNL SALISBURY MD
BTL W K KELLOGG BATTLE CREEK MI
DET COLEMAN A. YOUNG MUNI DETROIT MI
SAW SAWYER INTL MARQUETTE MI
ANE ANOKA COUNTY-BLAINE ARPT(JANES FIELD) MINNEAPOLIS MN
STC ST CLOUD RGNL ST CLOUD MN
BBG BRANSON BRANSON MO
COU COLUMBIA RGNL COLUMBIA MO
GLH MID DELTA RGNL GREENVILLE MS
HKS HAWKINS FIELD JACKSON MS
HSA STENNIS INTL (HSA) BAY ST LOUIS MS
OLV OLIVE BRANCH OLIVE BRANCH MS
TUP TUPELO RGNL TUPELO MS
GPI GLACIER PARK INTL KALISPELL MT
EWN COASTAL CAROLINA REGIONAL NEW BERN NC
HKY HICKORY RGNL HICKORY NC
INT SMITH REYNOLDS WINSTON SALEM NC
ISO KINSTON RGNL JETPORT AT STALLINGS FLD KINSTON NC
JQF CONCORD RGNL CONCORD NC
ASH BOIRE FIELD NASHUA NH
TTN TRENTON MERCER TRENTON NJ
AEG DOUBLE EAGLE II ALBUQUERQUE NM
SAF SANTA FE MUNI SANTA FE NM
ITH ITHACA TOMPKINS RGNL ITHACA NY
RME GRIFFISS INTL ROME NY
CGF CUYAHOGA COUNTY CLEVELAND OH
OSU OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLUMBUS OH
TZR BOLTON FIELD COLUMBUS OH
LAW LAWTON-FORT SILL RGNL LAWTON OK
OUN UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA WESTHEIMER NORMAN OK
PWA WILEY POST OKLAHOMA CITY OK
SWO STILLWATER RGNL STILLWATER OK
OTH SOUTHWEST OREGON RGNL NORTH BEND OR
PDT EASTERN OREGON RGNL AT PENDLETON PENDLETON OR
SLE MCNARY FLD SALEM OR
TTD PORTLAND-TROUTDALE PORTLAND OR
CXY CAPITAL CITY HARRISBURG PA
LBE ARNOLD PALMER RGNL LATROBE PA
LNS LANCASTER LANCASTER PA
CRE GRAND STRAND NORTH MYRTLE BEACH SC
GYH DONALDSON CENTER GREENVILLE SC
HXD HILTON HEAD HILTON HEAD ISLAND SC
MKL MC KELLAR-SIPES RGNL JACKSON TN
NQA MILLINGTON RGNL JETPORT MILLINGTON TN
BAZ NEW BRAUNFELS MUNI NEW BRAUNFELS TX
BRO BROWNSVILLE/ SOUTH PADRE ISLAND INTL BROWNSVILLE TX
CLL EASTERWOOD FIELD COLLEGE STATION TX
CNW TSTC WACO WACO TX
CXO LONE STAR EXECUTIVE HOUSTON TX
GTU GEORGETOWN MUNI GEORGETOWN TX
HYI SAN MARCOS MUNI SAN MARCOS TX
RBD DALLAS EXECUTIVE DALLAS TX
SGR SUGAR LAND RGNL HOUSTON TX
SSF STINSON MUNI SAN ANTONIO TX
TKI COLLIN COUNTY RGNL AT MC KINNEY DALLAS TX
TYR TYLER POUNDS RGNL TYLER TX
VCT VICTORIA RGNL VICTORIA TX
OGD OGDEN-HINCKLEY OGDEN UT
PVU PROVO MUNI PROVO UT
LYH LYNCHBURG RGNL/ PRESTON GLENN FLD LYNCHBURG VA
OLM OLYMPIA RGNL OLYMPIA WA
RNT RENTON MUNI RENTON WA
SFF FELTS FIELD SPOKANE WA
TIW TACOMA NARROWS TACOMA WA
YKM YAKIMA AIR TERMINAL/ MCALLISTER FIELD YAKIMA WA
CWA CENTRAL WISCONSIN MOSINEE WI
EAU CHIPPEWA VALLEY RGNL EAU CLAIRE WI
ENW KENOSHA RGNL KENOSHA WI
JVL SOUTHERN WISCONSIN RGNL JANESVILLE WI
LSE LA CROSSE MUNI LA CROSSE WI
MWC LAWRENCE J TIMMERMAN MILWAUKEE WI
OSH WITTMAN RGNL OSHKOSH WI
UES WAUKESHA COUNTY WAUKESHA WI
HLG WHEELING OHIO CO WHEELING WV
LWB GREENBRIER VALLEY LEWISBURG WV
PKB MID-OHIO VALLEY RGNL PARKERSBURG WV
 
 
Other News Stories (For the latest news please checkout our home page)
 
 
 
 
blog comments powered by Disqus  
Home Aviation News Aviation Stories Of Interest FAA Exam Upcoming Events Links To Other Sites General Aviation Helicopters Medical Factors Facing Pilots
Maintenance and Aircraft Mechanics Hot Air Balloon Aviation Training Handbooks Read Online Aviation History Legal Issues In Aviation Sea Planes Editorials
 
 ©AvStop Online Magazine                                                                 Contact Us                                                  Return To News                                          Bookmark and Share  
 
 

AvStop Aviation News and Resource Online Magazine