As the fate of 149 of the country’s contract control towers hangs in the balance, pilots and the traveling public face another imminent threat to their ability to fly: the furloughs of thousands of air traffic controllers at airports and center facilities across the country beginning on April 21.
The FAA says the furloughs are unavoidable under mandatory sequestration budget cuts. The agency predicts flights could be delayed by up to 90 minutes at busy airports as a result.
Starting on April 21, every FAA employee, including all controllers, will be furloughed for 11 days plus one day every two weeks through September. The effect will be especially felt at large commercial airports across the country. Chicago O’Hare, for instance, likely won’t be able to operate its North Tower, restricting arrivals and departures to just two runways. As a result, O’Hare will be able to handle only about half its normal traffic flow at peak times. That will cause ripple delays at other airports, say officials with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Meanwhile, if the FAA goes ahead with plans to close the 149 contract control towers on June 15, the situation could have a crippling effect for many operators and cause worsening delays, say controllers. One reason is that aircraft cleared for instrument approaches into these non-towered airports will have to close their flight plans on the ground by telephone. Approach controllers won’t be able to clear the next arrival until they receive that call.
Another impact of tower closures could be felt by corporate aircraft operators with insurance policies that require them to fly only from airports with operating towers. Shutting down the towers would prevent these operators from landing at any of the 149 affected airports. Operators based at an airport slated to lose its tower, meanwhile, would either be grounded or would need to find a new home base.
The House and Senate have introduced bills aimed at blocking the tower closures. The controller furloughs, however, are planed to start as scheduled in less than 10 days.
