WASATCH FRONT, Utah — The air traffic control towers at Provo Municipal Airport and Ogden-Hinckley airport will close due to lack of funding.
Gov. Gary Herbert confirmed on Friday that the towers would be shut down. The budget cuts from the Federal Aviation Administration came as part of sequestration—a series of mandated federal budget cuts.
The two airports will remain open, but they will not have air traffic control towers. The cuts were announced earlier this month, but they were not yet official.
At the time the cuts were announced Ogden-Hinckley Airport Manager Royal Eccles said the change could have an economic impact on Ogden. He also said it could affect air travel into Salt Lake International Airport and Hill Air Force Base.
“We are worried about the amount of safe travel that can happen here because of the amount of congestion we do have,” he said. “We have Hill Air Force Base 3.5 miles off the end of our runway. Their traffic flies right over top of our airport as they are landing.”
