ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto is one of nine Illinois airports that could have its air traffic control towers shut down, if across-the-board federal spending cuts take effect soon.

As a way of trimming $600 million in spending for the rest of the fiscal year, the Federal Aviation Administration is considering closing towers at 100 smaller airfields nationwide.

Pilots using plane-to-plane radios would be left to coordinate landings and takeoffs among themselves.

In Missouri, Columbia Regional and Jefferson City Memorial are among those at risk of losing their control tower funding.

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