Donaldson Center Tower Closure Moved to June

The FAA's planned closure of the Donaldson Center tower at the SC Technology & Aviation Center in Greenville has been moved to June 15.

The air-traffic control tower, originally slated to close May 5 due to budget cuts created by federal sequestration, will instead take place June 15, according to a GSA Business report.

The Donaldson Center tower is one of 149 nationwide, and one of three in South Carolina, set to shut down while sequestration's automatic budget cuts remain in effect. However, the FAA decided to delay the closings while it attempts to resolve legal challenges after several airports and trade groups filed suit to block the closures.

“This has been a complex process and we need to get this right,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. “Safety is our top priority. We will use this additional time to make sure communities and pilots understand the changes at their local airports.”

While SCTAC is not a party to the suit, its president and CEO has said that closure of the Donaldson Center tower causes safety concerns and could hamper SCTAC's economic development efforts, the business paper reported.