Congress Ends Air Traffic Furloughs

After sequester cuts led to a shortage of 1,500 air-traffic controllers this week and thousands of delayed flights, Congress has agreed to allow the Federal Aviation Administration to move $253 million from other accounts to end furloughs and keep air-traffic-control towers open at smaller airports. "This should prevent the onerous delays that have been occurring and that were only going to get worse as the traveling season reached its peak this summer," said Senator Susan Collins of Maine. The Senate passed the bill on Thursday and the House followed up with its approval on Friday.