TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Governor Rick Scott is asking President Obama to stop the furlough of air traffic controllers which were ordered to achieve spending cuts required by Congress.
Scott sent a letter to the president on Sunday, saying the furloughs will have a devastating impact on Florida families by creating unnecessary delays at Florida airports.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida airports accommodate more than 142 million passengers annually. Scott said the furloughs would cause a direct economic output reduction of $19 million annually.
The governor said Florida communities will be disproportionately impacted because the state has four large hub airports, including those in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
The airline industry and the nation's largest pilots union are suing the Federal Aviation Administration over the furloughs.
