Federal officials have just opened a path for one city that is among the top busiest air spaces in the United States to get a new commercial airport.
The FAA has just granted a Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate to Washington Manassas Airport (HEF) in Manassas, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C.
The certificate clears the way for the airport to become a base for commercial passenger airlines.
HEF has operated as an airfield in its current location since the 1960s, but it has primarily accommodated private jets.
Over the past five years, the FAA has invested more than $46 million in the airport to upgrade its infrastructure and add a new traffic control tower by 2029.
With the new certification, the airport could see commercial airlines add flights to the facility as soon as fall 2027.
“We’re hoping that in November of 2027 we’ll have our first flights,” airport director Juan Rivera told local news channel ABC 7. “We would really like to be open for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.”
Washington Manassas will be the fourth commercial airport in the D.C. region, joining busy hubs like Washington Dulles (IAD), Reagan National (DCA), and Baltimore Marshall (BWI) in serving the nation’s capital.
The airport would initially offer about three or four round-trip flights per day, with an initial focus on routes to leisure markets like Orlando from low-cost carriers, Rivera added.
A new passenger terminal is also in the works with plans to open in fall 2027, according to ABC 7.
“As the first airport in Virginia to receive an operating certificate in 53 years, this highlights our commitment to strengthening the National Airspace System and expanding communities’ access to safe, efficient airports,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Dan Edwards.
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