Hobbs and Santa Fe likely to lose airport towers

[TexasTowelie]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Federal Aviation Administration has notified airports in Santa Fe and Hobbs as well as the general aviation field in west Albuquerque that they will lose funding for their control towers unless they prove a pressing national interest for being spared the federal budget-cutting ax.

FAA officials said a final decision on which towers will lose their funding will be made next week, but the bar for exemption is high.

"Negative impact on the national interest is the only criterion the FAA will use for deciding to continue services to an airport that falls below the activity threshold," the FAA wrote to 189 airports across the country that use contract rather than FAA controllers. "The FAA is unable to consider local community impact that does not affect the national interest."

The tower closures are in response to automatic, across-the-board federal spending cuts that took effect this month.

More at http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-03-08/hobbs-and-santa-fe-likely-lose-airport-towers .

[chillfactor]

1. wow! they did not say anything about this on local news broadcast tonight n/t

[TexasTowelie]

2. As our governor in Texas would say,

"Oops!"

Meanwhile, the inconvenience has already started to grow for students setting out for Spring Break. Maybe they will get some grief from Johnny Manziel if he is delayed on his trip to Cabo.

If you check the Texas Group, Gothmog posted a list of the airports here that will be affected by the sequester. I noted that two of the airports are executive airports. I'm certain that the CEOs will be griping to their congressmen when their flights are delayed.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10786787

I take some perverse pleasure knowing that some of the cuts are directed towards the more affluent citizens and they are not falling solely on the poor.

[bluedigger]

3. It's genius.

Starting the FAA cuts as they are sends a shot straight across the bow to corporate America and the 1%. This will inconvenience the average air traveler very little, and recreational or sport flyers don't need tower facilities at these smaller airports other than for convenience anyways. It's the Gulfstream set that these boutique airports serve primarily.

[TexasTowelie]

4. It also hits the red states and red counties a little bit harder.

Look at the comments I made on Gothmog's thread that I provided a link to in post #2.

[bluedigger]

5. That could be serendipity.

Or by plan. It is really hard to say - the red states may have been over served to begin with.

[NMDemDist2]

6. Hobbs won't lose theirs. Too many oil people use it to go back and forth to Houston

mark my words.....

[TexasTowelie]

7. Your words were marked and you were correct.

Hobbs was spared.

They picked Double Eagle II in Albuquerque and Santa Fe Muni.

Any other predictions, Great Wise One?

[NMDemDist2]

8. oil is booming here in the Permian Basin

and my gas prices go up and up. I predict the repukes will forget the phrase 'drill baby, drill' because it's too hard to explain to their followers why gas prices don't drop.