Two Tampa Bay airports could possibly lose their air traffic controllers due to federal budget cuts because of sequestration.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a list of 173 small airports that are being targeted for closing. The FAA has not finalized the list, but on that list are Lakeland Linder Regional Airport and St. Petersburg's Albert Whitted Airport.
Richard Lesniak manages Albert Whitted Airport and is appealing the closure.
"Based on our locations, we're in a densely populated urbanized area, very complex air space and the traffic that's here doesn't just affect this airport," he says. "It affects Tampa International, St. Pete -Clearwater, MacDill."
The airports have until March 13th to make a final appeal to the FAA. The closing of the facilities would begin on April 7th.
