DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer
DALLAS (AP) — Federal officials say air traffic control centers at 25 smaller Texas airports could close or see hours reduced if automatic federal spending cuts take effect next week.
Officials on Friday said travelers should expect delays when the cutbacks begin in April.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the reductions are part of its planning to cope with a spending reduction of $600 million during the rest of the fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30.
The largest airports, such as Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, are not on FAA’s list of potential closures or cutbacks, which mostly affect airports with fewer than 10,000 commercial flights a year.
The Texas air traffic control facilities that could be closed, according to an FAA list: Waco Regional, New Braunfels Municipal, Jack Brooks Regional (Beaumont), Brownsville-South Padre Island International, Easterwood Field (College Station), TSTC (Waco), Lone Star Executive (Houston), Fort Worth Spinks, East Texas Regional (Longview), Arlington Municipal, Grand Prairie Municipal, Georgetown Municipal, San Marcos Municipal, Dallas Executive, Sugar Land Regional, Stinson Municipal (San Antonio), Collin County Regional (McKinney), Tyler Pounds Regional and Victoria Regional.
The Texas facilities that could see overnight shifts eliminated: Abilene control tower, Austin tower, Corpus Christi tower, El Paso tower, Meacham tower (Fort Worth), Lubbock tower.
