Lawmakers surprised that FAA ends furloughs but still may close towers

The furor over the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) sequester budget cuts has receded from the fever pitch it reached during flight delays at the end of April, but the agency’s plan will continue to hit bumps  as lawmakers turn their attention to air traffic control towers.

Forty-one senators have written the FAA to push the agency to use money that was included in the bill that was passed two weeks ago to end the flight delays to keep 149 air towers were the FAA contracts with private companies to monitor airplane traffic open.

The lawmakers said last week that they assumed the measure they were voting contained enough money to stop the air traffic controller furloughs that led to flight delays and keep the air towers open.