Briscoe Field Joins Lawsuit Against FAA

Gwinnett County is not giving up the fight to keep the air traffic control tower at Briscoe Field fully funded.

The airport in Lawrenceville joined a lawsuit filed by the Spokane Airport in Spokane, WA. On April 24, Gwinnett County filed a motion to intervene in the case of Spokane Airport Board, Petitioner v. Michael P. Huerta Administrator and Federal Aviation Administration, Respondents, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Case No. 13-71172. They are requesting a judge review the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to stop funding to federal contract towers.

“Gwinnett County is seeking to join in this action as our interests are aligned with those of Spokane and other similarly situated airports with contract towers," said Gwinnett County Board Chairman Charlotte Nash in a news release.

"While we are seeking to join in the Spokane action, we are also reviewing and monitoring the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013, recently passed by Congress, to see how it affects the FAA’s decision regarding the federal contract tower program.” That act gives the FAA flexibility to shift $253 million in funds from other accounts so it can end air traffic controller furloughs and keep towers open at smaller airports.

In March, the FAA announced it would stop funding the towers at Briscoe Field and 148 others nationwide in an effort to trim $637 million dollars from its budget as part of sequestration cuts. The tower at Briscoe Field was originally scheduled to shut down on May 5. Closure was postponed until June 15th. Briscoe Field is a general aviation airport.

~ Lawrenceville Patch