As a result of the across-the-board funding reductions in federal programs through the budget sequestration process, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began to furlough personnel, including 15,000 air traffic controllers, and moved to shut down 149 of 516 air traffic control towers in the U.S. The cuts put airline passengers at greater risk, resulted in thousands of flight delays, and had an adverse impact on the communities served by these airports.