Local airports may lose control towers

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) - The Federal Aviation Administration may remove funding for the control towers at WK Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek and Muskegon County Airport as part of the sequester.

Battle Creek Transportation Director Larry Bowron told 24 Hour News 8 he received a letter Tuesday informing him that WK Kellogg is on a list of airports that may lose federal funding to staff its control tower.

The FAA sent out letters Tuesday to airports whose control tower funding is on the chopping block. The letters were sent to airports that have less than 150,000 planes a year flying in and out and those with less than 10,000 commercial operations.

The FAA said it is trying to minimize the impact these closures have on commercial passengers. WK Kellogg is not a commercial airport.

The airports have until March 13 to present a case to the FAA as to why their towers should remain staffed.

Operations won't shut down if the control tower shuts down, but they will scale back. It's unknown by how much.

WK Kellogg is one of more than 100 small or medium-sized airports that received a letter from the FAA. CNN reports airports must convince the FAA that the loss of their tower will "harm the national interest." CNN says the FAA will close 173 contract towers on April 7 and another 16 on Sept. 30.

Western Michigan University's College of Aviation operates out of WK Kellogg, according to the city, as do the Battle Creek Air National Guard and three private aviation companies.