Regulatory Alert: FAA Finalizes List of ATC Towers Where Hours Will Be Temporarily Adjusted
April 27, 2020
Today the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released the final list of 93 air traffic control (ATC) towers where the agency plans to temporarily adjust operating hours amid the coronavirus pandemic. The number was reduced from an initial list of 115 facilities where FAA proposed to adjust hours, as outlined in our April 22 Regulatory Alert. After soliciting feedback from industry stakeholders and affected airports last week, FAA decreased the number of impacted facilities based on local operational and safety considerations. Timing of implementation will depend on the degree of adjustment and any operational issues that may need to be managed. However, the agency hopes to have all changes in place by May 4.
You can view the final list released by FAA here.
FAA's decision to temporarily adjust operating hours was based on hourly aircraft counts and safety during non-towered times; air carrier, air taxi and special operations; ability of the workforce to social distance and reduce exposure; savings of supplies; and infrastructure constraints. In discussions with FAA, the agency emphasized to AAAE that the adjustments are only temporary in nature and the agency will continue to monitor traffic levels and ensure staffing availability in the event operations start to increase again.
AAAE will continue to monitor any additional issues that arise as FAA implements these adjustments at the 93 facilities. If you have feedback, please contact Justin Barkowski at justin.barkowski@aaae.org.
Additional Resources
- FAA's press release and FAQ regarding the adjustments (here)
- FAA's COVID-19 Facility Map, which lists ATC facilities that have been impacted by COVID-19 (here)
- AAAE's April 22 Regulatory Alert update on FAA's proposed hour adjustments (here)
- AAAE's April 5 Regulatory Alert update on FAA's COVID-19 ATC mitigation efforts (here)
