Blumenthal to unveil plan to help Conn. airports

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal says he's got a proposal to help protect federal funding for third-party contract air traffic control towers, including some in Connecticut slated for closure because of automatic federal budget cuts.

Blumenthal is scheduled to announce "a legislative effort" at a news conference planned Monday at the Brainard Airport hangar in Hartford.

Representatives from the Connecticut Airport Authority, Tweed-New Haven Airport and Sikorsky Memorial Airport are expected to be on hand for the noontime announcement.

Connecticut's federal delegation announced earlier this month that six state airports may lose all their air traffic controllers in April as a result of the $85 million in automatic cuts that have taken effect.