[MilCom] Fwd: [CivilAirlineComms] FAA Press Release re tower closings

[AllanStern at aol.com]

Press Release – FAA Makes Tower Closing Decision
For Immediate Release
March 22, 2013
Contact: Laura Brown 
Phone: 202-267-3883,  laura.j.brown at faa.gov 
  
____________________________________

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation  
Administration (FAA) reached the decision that 149 federal contract towers 
will  close beginning April 7 as part of the agency’s sequestration 
implementation  plan. 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. 
“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.” 
“We will 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,” 
said  FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. 
In early March, FAA proposed to close 189 contract air traffic control 
towers  as part of its plan to meet the $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 national interest considerations included: (1) significant threats to  
national security as determined by the FAA in consultation with the 
Department  of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security; (2) significant, 
adverse  economic impact that is beyond the impact on a local community; (3) 
significant  impact on multi-state transportation, communication or 
banking/financial  networks; and (4) the extent to which an airport currently served by 
a contract  tower is a critical diversionary airport to a large hub. 
In addition to reviewing materials submitted on behalf of towers on the  
potential closure list, DOT consulted with the Departments of Defense and  
Homeland Security, and conducted operational assessments of each potential 
tower  closure on the national air transportation system. 
Some communities will elect to participate in FAA’s non-federal tower 
program  and assume the cost of continued, on-site air traffic control services 
at their  airport (see Advisory Circular AC 90-93A.) The FAA is committed to 
facilitating  this transition. 
The FAA will begin a four-week phased closure of the 149 federal contract  
towers beginning on April 7. 
    *   _FAA  Contract Tower Cost Share Sites Remaining Open_ 
(http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwMzIyLjE2OT
g1NTgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDMyMi4xNjk4NTU4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPT
EwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3NDY3MTgyJmVtYWlsaWQ9YWxsYW5zdGVybkBhb2wuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hbG
xhbnN0ZXJuQGFvbC5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&100&&&http:
//dev-www.faa.gov/news/media/fct_cost_share.pdf)   
    *   _FAA  Contract Tower Closure List_ 
(http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwMzIyLjE2OTg1NTgxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZ
D1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDMyMi4xNjk4NTU4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3N
DY3MTgyJmVtYWlsaWQ9YWxsYW5zdGVybkBhb2wuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hbGxhbnN0ZXJuQGFvbC5jb
20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&101&&&http://www.faa.gov/news/
media/fct_closed.pdf)   
    *   _FAA  Contract Towers Remaining Open_ 
(http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMwMzIyLjE2OTg1NTgxJm1lc3NhZ2
VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMDMyMi4xNjk4NTU4MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPT
E3NDY3MTgyJmVtYWlsaWQ9YWxsYW5zdGVybkBhb2wuY29tJnVzZXJpZD1hbGxhbnN0ZXJuQGFvbC
5jb20mZmw9JmV4dHJhPU11bHRpdmFyaWF0ZUlkPSYmJg==&&&102&&&http://www.faa.gov/ne
ws/media/fct_open.pdf)  
AL STERN Satellite Beach  FL
AllanStern at aol.com
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