The air traffic control tower (ATCT) of the future is coming to an airport near you, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week.
The FAA says it has selected a concept designed by New York City-based Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) for the new facilities. PAU vied against studios from around the world for the honor of designing the FAA’s “new, modular, energy-efficient air traffic control towers.”
The new towers will feature elements that align with the US aviation industry’s ongoing drive toward sustainability.
1. The first phase will replace older control towers at 31 mostly smaller municipal airports
The 31 candidate airports for the new ATCT facilities are mainly smaller municipal and regional airports around the country. The FAA considers the existing towers at these airports to be well beyond their age of usefulness.
| AIRPORT CODE | AIRPORT NAME | CITY |
|---|---|---|
| AHN | Athens-Ben Epps Airport | Athens, GA |
| ALN | St. Louis Regional Airport | East Alton, IL |
| BFM | Mobile International Airport | Mobile, AL |
| BLI | Bellingham International Airport | Bellingham, WA |
| DET | Coleman A. Young International Airport | Detroit, MI |
| EMT | San Gabriel Valley Airport | El Monte, CA |
| EYW | Key West International Airport | Key West, FL |
| FCM | Flying Cloud Airport | Eden Prairie, MN |
| FLO | Florence Regional Airport | Florence, SC |
| FMY | Page Field | Fort Myers, FL |
| FTW | Fort Worth Meacham International Airport | Fort Worth, TX |
| GLH | Greenville Mid-Delta Airport | Greenville, MS |
| HFD | Hartford-Brainard Airport | Hartford, CT |
| HKS | Hawkins Field Airport | Jackson, MS |
| LAW | Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport | Lawton, OK |
| LEB | Lebanon Municipal Airport | West Lebanon, NH |
| LOU | Bowman Field | Louisville, KY |
| MCN | Middle Georgia Regional Airport | Macon, GA |
| MOD | Modesto City-County Airport | Modesto, CA |
| MVY | Martha’s Vineyard Airport | West Tisbury, MA |
| MWA | Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois | Marion, IL |
| OGD | Ogden-Hinckley Airport | Ogden, UT |
| PAH | Barkley Regional Airport | West Paducah, KY |
| PIH | Pocatello Regional Airport | Pocatello, ID |
| PNE | Northeast Philadelphia Airport | Philadelphia, PA |
| PUB | Pueblo Memorial Airport | Pueblo, CO |
| RDG | Reading Regional Airport | Reading, PA |
| RVS | Tulsa Riverside Airport | Tulsa, OK |
| SLE | Salem Municipal Airport | Salem, OR |
| TOP | Philip Billard Airport | Topeka, KS |
2. The new design complements the FAA’s goal of net-zero aviation emissions by 2050
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the new ATCT design is a win for smaller airports and communities nationwide.
“These new air traffic control towers will mean that smaller airports can handle more flights, more sustainably, and more affordably,” said Buttigieg. “I look forward to seeing this design go from the drawing board to construction sites across the country, helping our nation’s airports support more travelers, grow their local economies, and prepare for the future of low-carbon aviation.”
3. Sustainability is a key focus
As the United States and the world continue pushing for a greener future, the FAA says the selected tower design will incorporate features focusing on sustainability.
The design encompasses crucial sustainable features, which consist of the following:
- Building systems powered entirely by electricity
- Materials and products that are free from chemicals that are known to be hazardous to health
- An energy-efficient exterior wall design
- Steel and metal products with high-recycled content
- The use of renewable mass timber wherever possible
- Geothermal heating and cooling systems, where possible
By incorporating these features, the 31 new ATCTs will contribute to the FAA’s objective of developing a sustainable aviation system with net-zero emissions in the United States by 2050.
4. The design honors the legacy of architect I.M. Pei
Many American ATCTs are considered midcentury modern. This style of architecture, popular in the 1950s and 1960s, has left its mark at airports throughout the United States.
During the Kennedy administration, an initiative was conceived to update and improve America’s federal buildings, including control towers, which led to the standard for American ATCTs. One of Kennedy’s main goals for the initiative was to ensure that the facilities projected “the dignity, enterprise, vigor, and stability of the American national government.”
The 1962 design, similar to the new concept, was the winning entry in a competition. The winning idea was the brainchild of the late Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming (I.M.) Pei, who is renowned for designing an impressive list of iconic buildings worldwide, including the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, Dallas City Hall, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Hong Kong’s Bank of China Tower, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
5. IM Pei’s midcentury control tower design is still in use at many airports
The midcentury design showcased an uncomplicated and adaptable modular kit, allowing it to seamlessly integrate with any airport across America. The tower was comprised of three components: a subterranean base building for technicians, a stand-alone concrete tower with a flared top, and a pre-manufactured control cab with standard FAA equipment and non-reflective windows, ensuring its familiarity in all air traffic facilities throughout the nation.
Initially, over 70 towers of varying heights of between 60 and 150 feet were proposed. However, following Kennedy’s assassination, the new administration changed the course of the project, and less than 20 ATCTs were ultimately built. Some of the towers are still in use today at airports such as Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison, Wisc., Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) in Florida, and the 150-foot prototype at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Others have been remodeled, decommissioned, or demolished.
6. The new design is a modern twist to the ATCTs we’re familiar with
The FAA required a design to make the updated ATCT facilities “repeatable, modifiable, sustainable, economical, and rapidly constructible.”
PAU’s design, which includes all of the requirements, will assimilate many of the original features of Pei’s midcentury work, ensuring that his legacy endures. The concept will incorporate a contemporary touch, with an emphasis on minimizing construction and operational expenses.
Instead of the traditional box-shaped structure, the new facilities will feature a central cylindrical column. To provide flexibility, a metal frame will encircle the freestanding structure, allowing for the addition of adaptable metal boxes for storage and janitorial services. At the top of the cylindrical structure will be an eight-sided control room resembling the ones we see today. The control room will focus heavily on employee wellness by incorporating natural lighting and ventilation, and other comfort systems.
The updated towers will be adaptable to heights between 60 and 119 feet, depending on the needs of the airspace and the surrounding environment.
7. Construction could begin next year
The FAA says it hopes to break ground on some of the new towers in 2024. Although only 31 airports are candidates in this phase, FAA officials say they plan to construct more than 100 ACTCs in the coming years.
Throughout the United States and its territories, the FAA operates more than 200 regional and municipal towers.
The FAA has allocated more than $500 million to support “site evaluation, preparation, and early construction activities,” thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.
