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LAS VEGAS � Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Michael Huerta today
joined federal and local officials to dedicate the new air traffic control
facility at McCarran International Airport.
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The project includes a 352-foot tall air traffic control tower and
a 59,000 square-foot base building, which houses the Terminal Radar Approach
Control (TRACON), air traffic control training simulators, administrative
offices, and equipment.
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�This project fulfills our core mandate of providing the traveling
public with the world-class air transportation system that they expect and
deserve,� said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. ��It also provided a shot in the arm to the
local economy by putting Nevadans to work in well-paying construction jobs.�
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�It�s critical for us to reinvest in our infrastructure to ensure that
we have the safest, most efficient, and most competitive air transportation
system possible,� said Huerta.� �This modernized
tower and TRACON provides our controllers with vastly improved working
environments that reflect the bustling airport and airspace that they serve.�
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�McCarran
International is one of the nation�s busiest airports, and I�m very grateful
that the FAA has completed this state-of-the-art project that will serve worldwide
travelers for decades to come. �Controllers
now enjoy greater visibility and access to their equipment, and the expanded
TRACON is capable of handling far more positions than was possible before,�
said Rosemary Vassiliadis, Director of Aviation for Clark County, Nevada. ��We�re growing at McCarran, and the FAA has
shown it�s committed to supporting that growth.�
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A taller tower was needed to provide controllers with better
airfield views, and the new tower is the second-tallest in the country. �The old tower, which the FAA started using in
1983, was about 200 feet tall.
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McCarran�s air traffic also has increased dramatically since the
old facility was built, creating a need for more controller space in both the
tower and TRACON. �The airport served
about 140,000 flights in 1983. �Last
year, it handled about 525,000 flights, making it the nation�s seventh-busiest
commercial airport.
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The new tower�s controller work area, known
as the cab, is 850 square feet � more than 50 percent larger than the old
facility.
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The cab�s unique design consists of two
levels. �Ground controllers, who handle
aircraft between the terminals and runways, are located on the lower deck,
closer to the airport surface. �Local
controllers, who handle arriving and departing aircraft and aircraft on the
runways, sit in the raised area, which enables them to better coordinate with
one another by enabling more direct communication. �Equipment is mounted on moveable arms, which
allows each controller to adjust it to suit his or her needs.
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The 2,100 square-foot TRACON is more than twice the size of the
old one. �It can accommodate up to 20 air
traffic control positions � four more than in the old building.
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The
tower and TRACON both have state-of-the-art information displays that integrate
systems displaying traffic, weather, and radar data into one workstation.�
Touch-screen technology allows controllers to move easily between the different
screens.
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The building features a white
membrane roof to reflect heat away from the structure, paints and wood that
emit low amounts of Volatile Organic Compounds, energy-efficient lighting,
low-flow water fixtures, and low-water landscaping.
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The control tower handles air traffic on the airport surface and
in the airspace within a five-mile mile radius of McCarran, up to an altitude
of 3,000 feet. �The TRACON handles
airborne aircraft within about a 35-mile radius of McCarran, up to 19,000 feet in
altitude.
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The total project cost � including the building construction, installation
of air traffic control equipment, electronics, and electrical and mechanical
systems � was about $111 million.
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