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.
