Santa Fe Mayor David Coss says the city has sent federal officials a letter seeking to save the airport's control tower from federal budget cuts.
Coss says keeping the tower open is of national importance because a number of military flights use it. In addition to having a National Guard base, he said, the airport participates in training flights with Kirtland and Cannon Air Force bases.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week notified airports in Santa Fe and Hobbs as well as the general aviation field in west Albuquerque that they will lose funding for their control towers unless they prove a pressing national interest.
If the FAA cannot be persuaded to keep the tower open, Coss said the city will look at trying to fund the tower costs itself.
It is unclear what impact the tower closing would have on commercial flights to Santa Fe.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.