Will Begin Ops In January 2007

Work on a new control tower at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is nearly complete... but the tower may stay vacant for a bit, as the FAA has decided to delay the opening until mid-to-late January 2007, in order to address final safety concerns surrounding the project.

"We were 98 percent of the way there when we decided to delay the opening," FAA spokesman Ian Gregor told the Arizona Republic. "But that two percent was enough that we didn't want to take any risks. We didn't want to push the safety envelope. It was disappointing."

The new 326-foot tower is designed to better accommodate the volume of air traffic that currently passes through the airport, as well as handle future growth.

Last year, Sky Harbor handled more than 555,000 takeoffs and landings. If that sounds like a lot... keep in mind that number is expected to reach 670,000 over the next 10 years, representing an estimated 50 million passengers annually.

"The airport is a lot busier today and has a lot more structures than it used to," said Deputy Aviation Director Deborah Ostreicher said. "We're so excited to have this open because it really will help us meet our needs now and in the future."

Gregor said the new tower features much nicer accomodations for Phoenix tower, ground, and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) personnel working in the high-tech structure. TRACON improvements include high-tech radar displays that can be seen in a well-lit room; tower controllers will enjoy glass positioned farther from workers, to cut down on the heat during Arizona's summers.

The Republic reports the cost of the tower has jumped significantly since it was first designed, due to increases in construction, materials, and labor costs. Extra security measures also added an estimated $10-15 million to the bill.

Fortunately for Sky Harbor... the federal government will foot the bill.

FMI: http://phoenix.gov/AVIATION/