ASSOCIATED PRESS
WHITE SULPHUR SPRING, W.Va. — The Greenbrier’s owner says closing the Greenbrier Valley Airport’s air traffic control tower will hurt both the resort and the community.
Jim Justice told The Register-Herald that the southeastern West Virginia resort relies on the airport. He said the airport also serves many families in the community who need its services.
The airport’s tower is among 149 across the country that are set to close because of automatic federal budget cuts. Its scheduled closure on May 5 comes as The Greenbrier’s busiest season begins.
Airport manager Jerry O’Sullivan says The Greenbrier accounts for an estimated 60 percent of the airport’s traffic annually.
O’Sullivan says he’s researching several solutions. They include joining one of several lawsuits filed against the Federal Aviation Administration by other small to mid-sized airports.