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Ending 'holding pattern,' FAA cancels plan to close towers

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Washington (CNN) -- After several weeks of indecision, the Obama administration has decided against closing 149 contractor-run air traffic control towers due to sweeping budget cuts. The decision by the Transportation Department brought a "sigh of relief" from small- and medium-sized airports nationwide that would have been impacted by the closures. Those towers employ some 900 controllers and the airports employ a range of other workers. (www.cnn.com) More...

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canuck44
canuck44 8
This demonstrates the need for Congress to privatize the ATC functions of the FAA leaving the bureaucrats of the FAA oversight and regulatory duties. There will be more "budget" crises and if Congress funds the contract it will be immune from political tantrums as government is actually reined in to provide Constitution functions. NavCanada is an example of this working.
99NY
99NY 5
Agreed, the official stance really should be "If you want it, you pay for it"
Av8nut
Michael Fuquay 5
Exactly, the airports should pay for it. If the airport is busy enough to justify keeping the controllers, they should have the money to pay them, not getting Uncle Sam to pay them. However, if they're like some of these airfields that only have a handful of movements per day, then they shouldn't have been in the first place!
preacher1
preacher1 3
Well, if all our user taxes and fees went to the right fund instead of the general fund and paying for non aviation related things, there might be enough to support them. A good example is the highway trust fund. We can't upgrade highway infrastructure because they don't have the money. The reason they don't have the money is that they are subsidizing mass transit. There probably are a bunch of low use towers that could go away or be airport funded but cuts would be better done by using a little common sense and good numbers rather than a meat ax approach as they did.
NF2G
David Stark 3
"[I]f Congress funds the contract" then we taxpayers will still be paying. Where do you think Congress gets money from?

Derg
Roland Dent 0
Big business...
NF2G
David Stark 1
Congresspersons get campaign money from "big business." The money they use to fund programs comes from taxpayers (including businesses).
Derg
Roland Dent 1
gottya thanks for advice..
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 3
More government hocus pokus. The obvious is that some should remain open and some should close. Rodeo clowns could run the FAA better.
Derg
Roland Dent 2
What do these folks eat for breakfast..Jack Daniels?
WALLACE24
WALLACE24 1
They don't have time for breakfast; their mouth is too busy telling lies.
NF2G
David Stark 2
People are beginning to wake up to the lie that is "sequestration."

I want my stolen unemployment benefits back, too.
markaz
markaz 1
Let the FAA take over all ATC functions. One or two man towers would undoubtedly be staffed with four-man FAA crews and then brag about employing more people while increasing the public's safety. Right.

Just leave airports alone, Mr. FAA.
Foxtrot789
Foxtrot789 1
I feel like this will just help expedite 'user fees'. Poor GA... :(
rwf1001
Robert Fleming 0
Glad to hear that!

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