FAA to Close 149 Air Traffic Towers Under Cuts, 13 in Texas
Source: AP
The Federal Aviation Administration says it will close 149 air traffic control towers at small airports around the country because of federal budget cuts.
The agency announced the decision Friday, a month after it released a preliminary list of facilities that could be closed.
In Texas, 13 towers will close. Two of those towers are in North Texas -- Dallas Executive and Collin County Regional at McKinney. To see a full list of closures, click here.
All of the affected airports will remain open. Pilots will be left to coordinate takeoffs and landings among themselves over a shared radio frequency with no help from ground controllers. That's something they are trained to do, but airport directors have raised concerns about the potential impact on safety.
Read more: http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/FAA-to-Close-149-Air-Traffic-Towers-Under-Cuts-13-in-Texas-199584921.html
List of closures: http://www.faa.gov/news/media/fct_closed.pdf
naaman fletcher
(7,362 posts)I presume "Dallas Executive" is just a bunch of netjets and corporate planes going in and out? Let them hire their own controllers.
Fresh_Start
(11,330 posts)Airlines should pay for all services needed to run their airlines.
Including air traffic control and base operations.
Its not as if consumer flights are dirt cheap.
Many consumers cannot afford to fly so why should their tax dollars be subsidizing businessman flying on business?
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)Will wonders never cease?
Fresh_Start
(11,330 posts)then cuts like this.
I'm not actually saying privatize.
I just said they should be bearing the full cost of it presumably through appropriate taxes, landing fees, etc.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)...part of the same ridiculous campaign to emotionally blackmail us into begging Congress to raise taxes.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Taxes on commercial airline tickets and fuel taxes already generate about 70% of the FAA's total operating budget of about $15 billion. The taxpayer contributes about $5 billion in the general fund for the FAA. Aviation contributes about $1.3 trillion to the US economy. Small investment. Big return.
quadrature
(2,049 posts)more 1 percenters will by
forced to interact with the riffraff
WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)slackmaster
(60,567 posts)It's so obvious how we are being played. Why are so many people blind to it?