W.K. Kellogg control tower to close

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) - The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday it will close 149 air traffic towers due to federal budget cuts from the sequester.

Larry Bowron, the Battle Creek Transportation director, told 24 Hour News 8 the control tower at W.K. Kellogg Airport is one of those that will close.

"I thought we were going to get good news today, but we didn't," said Bowron. "What do you do?"

Bowron describes the tower closing as removing all traffic signals from the busiest intersection in Grand Rapids. He said that though W.K. Kellogg is no O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, it is busy. Last fiscal year, it put 233,000 people in the air.

"Between noon and 1 p.m., they did 77 aircraft in one hour, and that's an airplane every 46 seconds," said Bowron of his tower in Battle Creek.

Safety is the other big concern. Bowron feels the FAA is rushing the shutdown, which is typically a long process. He said it normally takes 180 days: A 90-day analysis period and a 90-day waiting period. This shutdown will be effective in four weeks.

Bowron said he plans to try his hardest to keep the tower running. Talks with the FAA will continue and Bowron will look into paying for private air traffic controllers -- but that is an expensive option.

No commercial airliners fly out of W.K. Kellogg, but Western Michigan University's College of Aviation operates out the airport, as do three private aviation companies.

"We are a large flight training operation and there is a growing need for pilots that we produce. And this is not going to further that cause," said Steve Jones, director of flight operations at WMU.

He said shutting down the tower won't end flights here, but it will slow everything down, which could raise costs -- costs that may have to be passed on to students.

The FAA released a list of nearly 200 towers that could close in early March. The Muskegon County Airport was on that list, but was not included in Friday's cuts and will remain open.

The control towers at Coleman A. Young Airport in Detroit and Sawyer International Airport in Marquette will close.

All of the affected airports will remain open. Pilots will be left to coordinate takeoffs and landings among themselves over a shared radio frequency with no help from ground controllers. That is something they are trained to do, but airport directors have raised concerns about the potential impact on safety.

In an accompanying statement, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta says the agency will take steps to ensure safe operations at the affected airports.

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Online:

Full list of closures

List of potential closures