General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo The FAA Towers Have Been Spared Closure till June
Jeez do you think it was because... choose one or prioritize them in the order you feel is correct.
1.... Private pilots squeaked the wheel enough..
2..... Tower controllers squeaked the wheel enough..
3... The public squeaked the wheel enough.... OR
4.... Corporate airlines made a donation to the FAA
montanacowboy
(6,052 posts)surely no other goddamn reason
ProgressiveProfessor
(22,144 posts)FLyellowdog
(4,276 posts)People in the private sector, i.e.,corporations private pilots, etc., are the ones using the facilities. While these airports contribute to the government coffers via taxes from the users, they are not self-funding and the smaller airports especially require government subsidizing. It appears as though the government is now orchestrating a "pay to play" scenario.
However, apparently the proper procedures for changing the airports statuses weren't followed so the companies filed lawsuits against the FAA citing safety issues causing the government to postpone the closings.
These airports actually can stay open without a tower or they can find other ways to fund controllers (who are not members of FAA) instead of relying on government money . In other words, the cities, corporations, municipalities, whatever will have to find ways to fund the tower operations if the FAA stops their money.
Note that the controllers in these towers do not, nor will they ever, make the same salaries that the FAA controllers make. Many of them are retired FAA controllers or younger people trying to get OTJ training so they can apply for FAA jobs.
The money the govenment had anticipated saving due to the now delayed closings will have to come from some other cubby hole. Right now it doesn't seem clear where that "cubby hole" is.