MUSCLE SHOALS — A Federal Aviation Administration decision to close 173 air traffic control towers across the country, including seven in Mississippi, will not affect the Northwest Alabama Regional Airport.

The airport, located in Muscle Shoals, does not have an air traffic control tower.

The towers being closed in Mississippi include the one at the Tupelo Regional Airport, which is served by Silver Airways, the same airline that provides commuter air service to the Shoals.

“There are no impacts to MSL due to the (Tupelo) tower closing,” said Barry Griffith, director of Northwest Alabama Regional Airport.

The shutdowns are the result of the FAA’s move to reduce spending by $600 million under automatic federal budget cuts triggered by what is known as sequestration.

The FAA cuts affect mostly small and medium-sized airports.