[Scan-DC] [Fwd: New Washington Air Traffic Control Facility Begins Operation]

Mon, 16 Dec 2002 12:44:43 -0500

Fyi.

~ke3vin

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: New Washington Air Traffic Control Facility Begins Operation
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 11:06:53 -0500
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APA  23-02 December 16, 2002
Contact: William Shumann
Phone: 202-267-3883 New Washington Air Traffic Control Facility Begins
Operation WASHINGTON, DC � A new air traffic 
control (ATC) facility that will lead 
to significant improvements in 
efficiency for flights in the Baltimore-
Washington area began operating early 
Saturday, December 14.  Called the 
Potomac Consolidated TRACON (Terminal 
Radar Approach CONtrol), the new 
technologically advanced, state-of-the-
art facility in Warrenton, VA, will 
consolidate five existing TRACONs

and allow the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) to redesign the 
airspace in this area for more 
efficient, direct flight routings.

�The Potomac TRACON is a fine example 
of how we plan to chart a new century 
of safe and efficient air travel 
throughout the nation,� FAA 
Administrator Marion C. Blakey 
said.  �Programs such as this are a key 
component in our effort to safely 
increase aviation system capacity by 30 
percent in the next decade.�

About 60 air traffic controllers from 
Washington Dulles International Airport 
are now working at Potomac.  Over the 
next four months, they will be joined 
by FAA controllers from Reagan 
Washington National, Andrews Air Force 
Base, Richmond International and 
Baltimore-Washington International 
airports at the new TRACON.  When the 
consolidation is complete, the Potomac 
TRACON will have about 300 FAA 
employees who will handle about 5,000 
flights a day in 23,000 square miles of 
airspace covering parts of five 
states.  FAA controllers will continue 
to staff the control towers at the five 
airports.

Later next year, the FAA will begin 
implementing redesign of the Potomac 
airspace in the Baltimore-Washington 
area.  Under the current design, which 
has been in place for about four 
decades, the local airspace was rigidly 
partitioned among the four airports.  
That resulted in rigid routes for 
safety reasons as airplanes flew from 
one airport�s airspace to another.  
Removing these barriers will allow 
aircraft to fly more direct routings, 
reach higher altitudes more quickly and 
stay higher longer.  The result is less 
fuel burned and reduced noise impacts.

The FAA next month plans to release a 
final Environmental Impact Statement on 
which of four options for redesigned 
airspace it will implement.  Public 
hearings on the four 
options were held last spring.  The 
agency is not planning to alter final 
approach and departure routes, which 
are generally within five miles of an 
airport.

When fully implemented, the new routes 
in the redesigned airspace will save 
the users of the airspace � airlines, 
private pilots and the military 
services � about $25 million annually 
due largely to less fuel being used.  
Total estimated cost of the Potomac 
TRACON project is $95 million.  

A TRACON guides aircraft into and out 
of an airport.  Generally, its airspace 
covers a 50-mile radius around the 
airport up to 10,000 feet.  
Consolidated TRACONs in areas such as 
New York and Southern California cover 
a larger area and airspace to higher 
altitudes.                

###

An electronic version of this news 
release is available via the 
World Wide Web at 
http://www.faa.gov/index.cfm/apa/1062

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