The Federal Aviation Administration is considering suspending control tower operations at 173 of the nation’s smaller airports, including Page Field in Fort Myers, Punta Gorda Airport and Naples Municipal Airport. Air traffic controllers would be laid off as part of spending cuts that are part of the federal government’s sequester.
Bob Ball, executive director of the Lee County Port Authority said Page Field would remain open but without controllers managing ground operations or takeoffs and landings.
“It would be the responsibility of the individual pilots to coordinate the airspace and provide for a safe operation,” he said.
Ball said some flights would be redirected to Southwest Florida International Airport in the case of to pilot’s insurance regulations requiring they land at a facility with a control tower.
During the busy tourist season as many as 600 planes take off and land every day at Naples Municipal Airport. Executive Director Ted Soliday said he’s very concerned about running the operation without a control tower.
“Here you are taxiing down a runway or taxiway and all the sudden you hear someone is going to land on the cross wind runway and you’ve got to get your aircraft stopped quickly or get across that runway quickly,” he said. “It’s just not a positive situation.”
Next week, airport directors from the around the country will be in Washington, D.C. urging lawmakers to approve legislation to keep all the nation’s air traffic control towers open – at least until September.
