Hailey Airport Officials Take Legal Action Against FAA for Tower Closure

HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — Central Idaho officials say they'll seek an injunction to prevent the federal government from shutting down the air traffic control tower at the airport that serves the resort areas of Ketchum and Sun Valley.

The Idaho Mountain Express reports that the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority on Wednesday made the decision. It's unclear when the legal action will be taken.  The Federal Aviation Administration's final list of 149 air traffic control facilities that will be closed at small airports around the country starting April 7 contains four in Idaho.

Besides Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, they are the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport in northern Idaho, and Pocatello Regional Airport and Idaho Falls Regional Airport in eastern Idaho. The FAA is under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget.