SAWYER, MI-- The air traffic control tower at Sawyer International Airport is among 149 across the country slated to close as a result of federal cuts.
The Federal Aviation Administration released the list Friday. FAA officials say the towers will close beginning April 7 as part of the agency’s sequestration implementation plan to cut $637 million from its budget.
Some small- to medium-sized towers on the initial closure list will remain open because it’s in the national interest.
Sawyer Airport Manager Duane Duray says five people will lose their jobs as a result of the closure. But he says it won’t have an effect on flight safety.
Duray notes the Marquette County Airport operated for years without a tower at its former location in Negaunee Township.’
