Manassas Airport Starts Terminal Site Work as $29.3 Million Control Tower Contract Goes to Commission
Why It MattersRegional airports preparing for scheduled airline service must fund terminal, tower and airfield works in parallel, so cost estimates and public approvals become the pacing items rather than airline demand alone.
What happened
Washington Manassas Airport (HEF) in Virginia has begun preliminary construction on a new passenger terminal as it prepares for scheduled commercial airline service. Airport management company Avports has started the first phase of terminal-area work, including preparations for a new passenger building and expanded parking.
The east aircraft parking area has been cleared, and an existing equipment storage building is being demolished. The terminal redevelopment is expected to cost approximately $80 million, up from an earlier estimate of $50 million. The project will add passenger gates, enclosed boarding bridges, ticketing and baggage facilities, Transportation Security Administration screening areas and passenger seating.
Separately, airport staff have recommended awarding a $29,314,862 contract to Costello Construction for a replacement control tower. The Airport Commission is scheduled to consider the recommendation on Oct. 15 before it advances to City Council for potential approval. The new tower would replace aging infrastructure and offer improved visibility, updated technology and more space for controllers. Funding is expected to include federal and state contributions and airport capital reserves, with final approvals pending.
The airport received its Federal Aviation Administration Part 139 operating certificate in August. Avports is negotiating with prospective airlines, including about possible service to Florida destinations; no carrier or routes have been formally announced, and the airport is targeting commercial passenger service in 2027. Rehabilitation of Runway 16L/34R and widening of Taxiway Bravo to accommodate larger aircraft are also planned, with both expected to enter construction in 2027.
Industry impact & what to watch
The developments are part of an effort to position the airport as an alternative to Washington Dulles International. Projects of this kind tend to stack several separate approvals and funding streams at once: a certificate, a terminal build, a control tower and airfield works, each with its own timeline and its own public decision point.
The terminal estimate rising from $50 million to roughly $80 million shows how quickly the cost base of such a conversion can move before any airline has committed. With no carrier or route formally announced, the capital is being committed ahead of confirmed service, which places the weight on Avports' negotiations.
The next dated milestone is the Airport Commission's consideration of the Costello contract on Oct. 15, followed by City Council. Whether the final federal, state and reserve funding split is approved will settle how the tower is paid for, and any named carrier or route announcement would be the first concrete sign that the 2027 target holds.
