Washington Manassas Airport's new tower puts controllers 125 feet up, 58 feet higher than the 1992 tower bought used from Colorado for $65,000. Done by 2029.
Washington Manassas Airport broke ground Tuesday on a new air traffic control tower. The city expects it to cost $41 million and to be finished by 2029.
The airport is a department of the City of Manassas. The city announced the start of work in its release on the groundbreaking.
“This project, which has been over 26 years in the making, represents our continued investment in the future of aviation, safety, and our community,” Airport Director Juan Rivera said.
A taller tower and a bigger cab
Controllers in the new tower will work with their eyes 125 feet above the ground. That is 58 feet higher than in the existing tower, the city said, and should give them a better view across the airfield.
The figures from the city’s release:
| Existing tower | New tower | |
|---|---|---|
| Controller eye height | 67 feet | 125 feet |
| Control cab | 189 square feet | about 550 square feet |
| Whole building | about 18,300 square feet, eight stories |
The base building will cover 9,180 square feet. It will hold training rooms, offices, a playback room and a simulator for training controllers.
The tower it replaces came secondhand
The existing tower opened in 1992. It was the Federal Aviation Administration’s first recycled air traffic control tower, the city said. Manassas bought it from Centennial Airport in Colorado for $65,000 and moved it to the airport, where it has been in use for more than 34 years.
Costello Construction of Columbia, Maryland, is the general contractor. RS&H designed the tower and will provide engineering services.
Part of the push toward airline service
The tower is one piece of a larger change at the airport. The FAA has issued the airport a Part 139 operating certificate, the last federal approval it needs before scheduled passenger flights, according to the city’s release on the certificate. The city said passenger service is expected to start by the end of 2027.
The city calls the airport Virginia’s 10th commercial service airport. It says the airport contributes $517 million to the regional economy.
The next step comes Monday. City Council holds a public hearing on a terminal building and ground lease for passenger airline service, with a presentation from Avports, the only bidder. That is on the Oct. 26 council agenda, and our preview of Monday’s meeting has the details.
At its Oct. 19 work session, the council also heard a proposal to waive landing fees and cut fuel flow fees for two years to attract airlines, the city said in its work session recap.
What it means for you
- Commercial flights are the bigger change. The FAA certificate and Monday’s terminal hearing are the steps that decide when passenger flights start.
- You can comment Monday. The terminal hearing is part of the council meeting that starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 9027 Center St.
- Construction runs to 2029. The city has not said whether work will affect the airfield or nearby roads.
For getting to the airport and around the city, see getting around Manassas.
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