A plane passes the Whiteman Airport control tower as it takes off on March 22, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Furloughs of air traffic controllers at the Los Angeles International Airport began yesterday as part of the across-the-board government cuts known as "sequestration."
Flight delays are widely expected. The Federal Aviation Administration says the wait at LAX, the country's third busiest airport, will average about 10 minutes, but could balloon up to over an hour.
The reduction in air traffic controllers' hours is just one of many cost-saving measures the FAA is enacting. The agency is also going to close control towers at 149 smaller airports, including at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and Whiteman Airport in Pacoima.
Guest:
Mike Foote, President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association LAX chapter