HICKORY, N.C. (AP) — The congressional decision to end furloughs for air traffic controllers leaves questions about whether towers at small airports will still be closing soon.
The Hickory Daily Record reported (http://bit.ly/16hz9UL) that officials at the Hickory tower are awaiting word on whether the operation will close as scheduled June 15.
Air traffic manager Lezli Kolkum says the Federal Aviation Administration has not announced any changes in the closure plans. Congress authorized the FAA to move money to keep the towers open but did not require the agency to do so.
North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan wants the tower to stay open. She wrote the FAA administrator about the importance of the tower to the Hickory area.
The FAA decided to close 149 towers earlier this year because of automatic federal budget cuts.