|
Date: September 23, 2016
Contact: Ian Gregor
Phone:�310-725-3580/Email: ian.gregor@xxxxxxx
�
�
Federal
Aviation Administration Dedicates New Tucson Control Tower
�
TUCSON � FAA Administrator Michael Huerta today joined
federal and local officials in dedicating the new, environmentally friendly air
traffic control tower at Tucson International Airport.
�
The new tower is 252 feet tall � about double the height
of the old tower, which served the airport for 58 years. It provides air
traffic controllers with better airfield views and makes it easier for them to
determine the positions of aircraft on the ground and in the skies around the
airport.
�
The project came in under budget and ahead of schedule.
�
�This new tower supports
President Obama�s call to invest in a transportation system that will help our
economy grow and meet the needs of the Tucson community today and into the
future,� said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. �Safety is our
highest priority and the tower will enhance both safety and efficiency for
everyone traveling through this airport.�
�We need to continually reinvest in
our nation�s air transportation infrastructure to maintain the world�s best �
and safest �
air transportation system,� Huerta said. �We also believe investment and
environmental responsibility are intertwined, and this tower is a prime example
of our efforts to be responsible environmental stewards.�
��With this new tower, Tucson International
Airport takes a major step forward in providing the infrastructure needed to
secure and grow economic development opportunities associated with the
airfield,� said Bonnie Allin, president and CEO of the Tucson Airport
Authority. �The tower is also an integral part of the commitment by both the
FAA and the TAA to maintain the latest safety enhancements at the airport.�
The new tower sits atop a 13,000 square-foot base building
that houses computer equipment, administrative offices, and a backup power
system that is designed to automatically activate in case of a commercial power
outage.
�
Numerous environmental features minimize the facility�s
energy and water uses.
�
A 1,600-panel solar farm adjacent to the base building is
expected to generate enough power to support all of the facility�s electrical
needs for several hours a day on sunny days. At other times, the power it
produces will supplement the facility�s commercial power supply.
�
The facility also uses the solar farm to produce
ice, which is stored in large containers and is used at night to cool the
building when the solar panels are not producing electricity.�
Other environmental benefits include a light-colored roof
that reflects the sun�s heat away from the building, insulated windows that
reduce the amount of energy needed to keep the controller work area cool, motion
detectors for the low-energy, indoor lights, and native desert plants that do not
need watering.
�
The total project cost, including computer equipment,
electronics, fire suppression systems, and heating and air conditioning, was
about $40 million.
�
Tucson had approximately 143,000 aircraft operations in
2015. It is served by six airlines and is home to the largest F-16 Air National
Guard Base in the U.S.
|
