WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) today applauded an announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that it will drop a plan to close the Air Traffic Control Tower at Richmond International Airport between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m. The decision follows a November 23 letter from the two Senators that urged the FAA to maintain the Control Tower’s current 24/7 operations.

“We are glad that the FAA listened to feedback from passenger airlines, cargo carriers, fixed base operators, air traffic controllers, and other stakeholders who all opposed the plan to close the air traffic control tower at night,” said Sens. Warner and Kaine. “A busy commercial service airport like Richmond International needs to have a control tower that is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

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