Budget cuts to close 14 air traffic control towers in Florida

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Alex de Armas reported for WUFT-TV.

Fourteen Florida cities will lose an air control tower because of the inability of Congress to reach a budget.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration announced Monday 149 federal contract towers will close beginning April 7.

Congress’ failure to enact legislation that reduced the deficit and avoided sequestration required President Barack Obama to issue a sequestration order under the Budget Control Act of 2011.

The order canceled $85 billion in budgetary resources, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

Closing the towers will meet the $637 million in cuts the Federal Aviation Administration must make, according to a news release.

Ocala, St. Augustine, St. Petersburg and Leesburg house some of the towers scheduled for closure.