Stinson Municipal Airport and New Braunfels Municipal Airport are among 13 small Texas airports in line to get state funding to continue service amid sequestration budget cuts.
The Texas Department of Transportation said Thursday it intends to fund air traffic control towers when federal funding goes away. The move is pending Texas Transportation Commission approval, expected in an emergency session next week.
“Safety is the primary reason we felt a need to take immediate action for the air travelers and business aircraft that use these airports,” Commissioner Fred Underwood of the Texas Transportation Commission said in a news release. “I am proud of our leaders for taking this extraordinary measure to ensure that those relying on these municipal airports will be able to depart and arrive safely and efficiently.”
When automatic budget cuts from the federal government went into effect last month, Texas regional airports were scheduled to lose funding for air traffic control service starting April 7.
On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry sent a letter asking the commission to provide 90 days of emergency assistance to keep the control towers open.
“Flying is an integral part of commerce in Texas,” TxDOT executive director Phil Wilson said in the news release. “Local communities are counting on these airports to remain open for continued economic success.”
Other South and Central Texas municipal airports affected were in Brownsville, Georgetown, San Marcos and Victoria.
Story and Reaction/Comments: http://www.mysanantonio.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment