Manassas Airport in the U.S. Receives FAA Certification on August 31, Poised to Become Fourth Commercial Airport

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Washington Manassas Airport has been approved to provide commercial passenger aviation services. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate to the airport on August 31, confirming that it meets federal safety requirements for airports serving commercial passenger operations, adding a potential new airport option to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The certificate covers requirements including runway and taxiway surfaces, aircraft rescue and firefighting, emergency planning, wildlife hazard management, and employee training. Manassas is thus poised to become the fourth commercial airport serving the Washington, D.C. region, alongside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. It is also the first airport in Virginia to receive a Part 139 Operating Certificate in 53 years.

Dan Edwards, FAA Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports, stated that commercial flights coming to Manassas will bring additional economic growth to the community and add a commercial airport to the Washington, D.C. region, while also reflecting the FAA's commitment to strengthening the National Airspace System and expanding community access to safe and efficient airports.

Over the past five years, the FAA has invested more than $46 million in Washington Manassas Airport for runway rehabilitation and infrastructure work preparing for a new air traffic control tower. The airport's air traffic control systems have also been upgraded as part of the modernization of the federal air traffic control network: high-speed fiber optic infrastructure was installed in May 2026 to improve communications, the National Airspace System Voice Recorder was delivered in August, and a modern voice switch replaced the outdated system from the 1990s in the same month.

The FAA expects a Surface Awareness Initiative system to be delivered in October 2027. This technology will provide controllers with real-time information on aircraft and vehicles on the airport's surface, including areas not directly visible from the control tower.

Part 139 certification itself does not lock in commercial routes or guarantee that the airport will launch passenger service. Airlines will still need to decide independently whether to operate at Manassas and determine suitable routes and schedules. As the aviation network in the Washington, D.C. region continues to develop, this approval provides the regulatory foundation for the airport to accommodate qualified commercial passenger operations.