Sacramento International says in a statement that the current ATC facility is “one of the oldest towers in the country” and the FAA “is prioritizing replacing it.” Located just south of the airport’s Terminal B, it is 130 ft. Congress in 2021 and will fully cover the cost of the ATC tower project, according to SMF. Funding comes from the infrastructure law passed by the U.S. The airport serving California’s capital says the new tower, slated to cost $60-80 million, will be completed in 2026. FAA has approved funding for a new air traffic control (ATC) tower at Sacramento International Airport (SMF). Steps from bottom floor to bottom of cab: 132.The U.S.Steps from bottom floor to bottom of cab: 269.The trek on the existing tower required 132 steps. It takes 269 steps to get from the bottom of the tower to its cab without using the elevator, Smith said. Gateway Airport's existing tower is about 120 feet tall. The new tower, which measures just under 200 feet tall, is 60% bigger than its predecessor, Smith said. Gateway Airport's old and new towers by the numbers "We can handle more controllers, so you have more people observing the airspace and a bigger picture view of the airfield," he said. Taken together, these features aim to enhance efficiency in the region's air traffic control and improve the safety of flights within the tower's airspace, Smith said. These yield brighter light and are more energy- and cost-efficient. Most control towers use halogen beacon lights. The new tower will be the first in the nation to have an all-LED beacon light at the top.One of the lower levels includes a conference room for meetings and training, a feature not in the old tower.In the existing tower, the manager has to stand. The air traffic control manager gets a desk.There are eight work stations, double what the existing tower has. It has more space to accommodate more controllers.What makes the new tower different, Smith said, is the inclusion of these new features: Here's how much traffic is up How the new tower will improve safety, efficiency Gateway's growth: This metro Phoenix airport has more passengers than ever. "This bipartisan effort will help Gateway Airport continue to grow and create high-wage jobs across greater Phoenix." McCain III Air Traffic Control Tower is the culmination of years of hard work and determination by our local, state and federal leaders," Brigette Peterson, chair of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, said in a statement. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, signed by former President Donald Trump, eliminated that spending limit and allowed construction of the $30 million tower to proceed. We wanted to spend our own money the way we wanted." "We weren't looking for money," Smith said. Under this rule, which was intended for smaller airports not managing the type of growth Gateway is experiencing, airport staff couldn't spend more than $2 million on construction costs, airport spokesman Ryan Smith said. When it became a commercial airport, its staff recognized the air traffic control tower was too short and the cab - the room at the top where the controllers work - was too small to support an airport with three 10,000-foot runways, airport director Brian O'Neill said. Gateway Airport's existing control tower was built in 1970 and is a relic from when the airport was known as Williams Air Force Base and served as a training ground for Air Force pilots. He said modernizing the airport's infrastructure will "help it become an even more forceful economic engine for the East Valley and Arizona."Īirport officials and elected leaders see the new control tower's debut as a launch point for future economic expansion.Īlso at Mesa Gateway: New restaurants, big upgrades are coming. What flyers can expect Why the old tower has safety issues Greg Stanton, D-Arizona, called the new tower "an essential investment" in the airport's future.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has dedicated its new air traffic control tower, replacing an outdated tower that dates back to the airport's past life as an Air Force base.Īt the dedication ceremony on Tuesday, U.S. View Gallery: Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport new air traffic control tower
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