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Phoenix Mayor Stanton: Keep Valley airport towers open

By Erin Kelly Republic Washington Bureau Wed Mar 13, 2013 12:34 AM

WASHINGTON -- Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton met with Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Huerta to plead the case for keeping open the air-traffic control towers at Phoenix Goodyear Airport and Glendale Municipal Airport.

“We’re trying to do our best to protect these important resources,” Stanton said Tuesday.

The two West Valley airports are among more than 100 nationwide that could see their control towers close in early April because of the automatic, across-the-board federal budget cuts known as sequestration. Other Arizona airports that face tower closures are Ryan Airfield in Tucson and Laughlin/Bullhead International in Bullhead City.

Cities have until today to make their cases to the FAA. Stanton said he and West Valley mayors will send a letter to Huerta today, urging him to keep the Goodyear and Glendale towers open.

That has ramifications far beyond Arizona, Stanton said.

“Closing the tower at Goodyear would have geo-political implications for our NATO partners,” said Stanton.

Both the Goodyear and Glendale towers also help protect Glendale-based Luke Air Force Base by ensuring that their air traffic remains outside Luke’s airspace, Stanton said. If the towers close, it would likely increase the potential for airspace violations by civil aircraft, he said.