The Transportation Departments says 149 control towers at small airports that were slated for closure will remain - open at least through Sept. 30.
The department sent out a brief statement Friday. It says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has determined there is enough extra money, under a bill passed by Congress last month, to keep the towers open through the end of the budget year.
The towers are operated by contractors for the Federal Aviation Administration at low-traffic airports.
As we previously reported, these include the following airports in Missouri and Illinois:
Missouri
- Columbia Regional Airport - Columbia, Mo. (For more on this closure, see this post by KBIA)
- Branson Airport - Hollister, Mo.
Illinois
- St. Louis Regional Airport - East Alton, Ill.
- Southern Illinois Airport - Carbondale, Ill.
- Central Illinois Regional Airport - Bloomington-Normal, Ill.
- Decatur Airport - Decatur, Ill.
- Waukegan Regional Airport - Waukegan, Ill.
They were scheduled to close June 15 as part of the FAA's plan to accommodate automatic spending cuts required by Congress.
Follow Kelsey Proud on Twitter: @KelseyProud
