US announces closure of 149 airport control towers

Washington: The US has announced that 149 airport control towers will be closed across the country beginning 7 April due to a budget saving implementation plan."We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions," US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.[caption id="attachment_672691" align="alignleft" width="380"] Image for representation only. AFP[/caption]"Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration," Xinhua quoted LaHood as saying.Roughly $85 billion of spending cuts started to hit various US governmental departments this year starting March 1. The spending cuts were included in the August 2011 debt reduction package.Authorities will begin a four-week phased closure of the 149 air traffic control towers beginning 7 April, part of its efforts to save $637 million spending this year, according to the statement.IANS