FAA breaks ground on new air traffic control tower at Charlotte Douglas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration, along with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and other local lawmakers, broke ground on a new air traffic control tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Thursday.

The hope is that the new tower and the technology inside it will improve the way planes at the airport take off, fly and land -- as well as save money.

Earlier this year, Channel 9 took a tour of the airport's aging air traffic control tower. It was built in 1979 when the FAA controlled 225,000 flights.

Currently, it handles around 560,000 flights.

The new tower will give air traffic controllers more space to better manage planes. It will also be equipped with next-gen technology that will allow air traffic control operators to send text messages to pilots to reduce the chance for mistakes.

Reporter Joe Bruno will let you know why the new tower will allow Charlotte to have direct flights to Asia, on Eyewitness News at 5 p.m.

Airport officials said the new tower and technology will make plane rides safer and provide passengers with more accurate timing.

"This will allow us to be more efficient, allow our flights to be more predictable,” said Dennis Roberts with the FAA. "Without this new facility, that is a limiter to do that."

The first phase of the program is already underway, rerouting some plane flight paths so they spend less time in the air and on the runway.

Charlotte Douglas is the nation's fifth busiest airport and officials said the new tower will allow the FAA to handle future growth.

The new tower brings the possibility of two new runways. Once a longer runway is installed. Mayor Jennifer Roberts said, direct flights to Asia will be added.
 
Charlotte-Douglas is the fifth busiest airport in the country, and leaders said the changes to the airport bring great benefits to the city.
 
"We just ask folks to put up with the cones a little longer," Roberts said. "It's all good news for Charlotte."

The tower will be 370 feet tall, the second tallest in the nation. Construction will be complete by 2018, with the tower operational in 2020.

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