Politics & Government

UPDATE: Renton Considers Joining FAA Lawsuit to Block Airport Tower Closure

Renton's air traffic control tower at Clayton Scott Field municipal airport is scheduled to shut down on April 21 due to federal spending cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Renton officials said Tuesday that the city is preparing to join a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming cuts to air traffic controllers at Renton Airport violates federal law.

Air traffic control tower service is one of the areas being affected by the Sequester β€” the phrase now commonly associated with a package of across-the-board federal government budget cuts. Renton's Clayton Scott Field municipal airport is one of five in Washington state that will lose funding for the control towers. Renton's air traffic control tower is scheduled to shut down on April 21.

The city must follow certain legal procedures before joining the suit and is drafting a filing motion, said Renton city spokesperson Kelley Balcomb-Bartok. "But it is in process," he said.

Find out what's happening in Rentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the City of Renton decides to move forward and join the suit, the addition of Renton Airport would be the sixth airport so far to have filed suit with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., Businessweek reported. Felts Field airport in Spokane, Central Illinois Airport in Bloomington, IL and three airports in Florida are among the other claimants, the report said.

(Ed. Note/Correction: Renton City Officials contacted Renton Patch at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday to clarify that the city has not yet filed any motions with the court, but is drafting a legal action related to the lawsuit mentioned in the article above.)

Find out what's happening in Rentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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