Politics & Government

Briscoe Field Tower To Stay Open Through September

Federal Aviation Administration chief makes an announcement on funding.

The control tower at Gwinnett County-owned Briscoe Field will remain open at least through September, according to a Federal Aviation Administration announcement Friday (May 10).

FAA Director Ray LaHood said in a statement:

Β ...the recently enacted Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 will allow the FAA to transfer sufficient funds to end employee furloughs and keep the 149 low activity contract towers originally slated for closure in June open for the remainder of fiscal year 2013.

Find out what's happening in Duluthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The federal government's fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

Briscoe Field's control tower, which is maintained by the FAA, had been among 149 towers nationally that were slated to be closed under federal budget cuts known as sequestration. Brisce Field is a general aviation apirport.

Find out what's happening in Duluthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Citing economic and safety concerns, Gwinnett County officials in April had sought to join a legal initiative by the City of Spokane (Wash.) that was aimed at keeping the Briscoe Field tower open.

There's no word yet on whether county officials will continue that effort.

β€œThis victory is thanks to a bipartisan coalition of senators and congressmen and -women who came together to demonstrate that there are more responsible ways to cut spending than by compromising safety,” Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a critic of earlier plans to shut the towers, told the Los Angeles Times.

~ Suwanee Patch


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