This week in Transportation: FAA eyeing flight tower closures

{mosads}”While we understand the extraordinary funding situation the FAA is in as a result of the sequester, we strongly believe that these closures will put at risk public safety in and around the airspace of Connecticut and the local economies that rely on these facilitates for tax revenue and jobs,” the Connecticut lawmakers continued.

The sequestration law requires the FAA to cut its 2013 budget by $600 million.

The Obama administration has pointed to the FAA’s budget-cutting plans to argue that the sequester will cause delays for commercial airline passengers.

The FAA has said it will not begin tower closures or furloughs until April 7.

Elsewhere this week, lawmakers in the House will get an update on the implementation of last year’s $105 billion surface transportation bill during a meeting of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Highways and Transit subcommittee on Thursday.

Also, the House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing on Thursday about the Transportation Security Administration’s “risk-based” security initiatives.