Fri, Dec 01, 2006
Lawmakers Want To Keep Approach Facility There Open
Colorado congressmen
are opposing an FAA plan to close Pueblo's approach control
facility and hand off control of air traffic to facilities in
Colorado Springs or Denver.
The FAA announced the proposal in September, but has yet to make
a final decision. The aviation agency is looking at consolidating
operations in 170 facilities nationwide to save money.
Representative John Salazar says it's a safety issue. In a
statement released Wednesday he said, "I have flown into the Pueblo
airport many times and am concerned about the potential impact on
air traffic safety if the proposal is approved."
A new pilot screening program awarded to Doss Aviation and set
to take off at Pueblo is adding a wrinkle to the debate. Pueblo
city officials say traffic handled by controllers will nearly
double. The FAA says it can handle the increased traffic, even if
Pueblo's approach control facility is closed.
Senators Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard have both contacted the
FAA voicing their dissent to the plan. They say they'll fight
against closing Pueblo's facility because they believe the
increased traffic from the flight screening program will affect
safety.
A Salazar spokesman told the Pueblo Chieftain, "Senator Salazar
intends to keep that (approach control) service in Pueblo."
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association representative
in Pueblo, Bryan Sanford, says Colorado Springs and Denver are
already understaffed, and moving Pueblo's controllers to those
facilities wouldn't save the FAA money.
As for Doss Aviation, company spokesman Paul Walker says, "We've
taken a hands-off approach to this situation. As long as they can
provide the service we need, we're willing to let the FAA determine
where they want to locate the controllers."
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