Connecticut airports lost their appeals to keep controllers at their towers.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday issued a final list of 149 airports that will close their air traffic control towers because they agency is required to lay off controllers to save money.
Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport, Brainard Airport, Stratford’s Igor I. Sikorsky Airport, Danbury Municipal Airport, Waterbury-Oxford Airport and Groton-New London Airport are all on the list. Because of the FAA’s decision, only Hartford’s Bradley International Airport will have a working tower with controllers.
All of the airfields, except Igor I Sikorsky Airport, had made an appeal to the FAA to stay off the final closure list. The FAA did take about 30 airports off the hit list, but none of them are in Connecticut.
Legislation that would have spared all of the airports died this week in Congress.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd District, said she was “deeply disappointed” in the FAA’ decision.
“People’s lives will be seriously, negatively impacted by this decision, in particular the over 100 individuals at Tweed who are facing possible job loss,” she said.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said they will introduce an amendment to a Senate budget bill that would exempt future legislation to reopen the towers from being subjected to the 60-vote rule that’s required on budgetary issues.