General aviation pilots flying into Virginia’s Washington Manassas Airport (KHEF) can soon expect thousands of commercial flights to share the airspace each year.
Washington Manassas, renamed earlier this year from Manassas Regional Airport, is the busiest GA airport in Virginia, with more than 420 based aircraft and 100,000 annual operations. It is also a designated reliever for Washington Dulles International (KIAD).
After the FAA awarded a Part 139 airport operating certificate to KHEF on Monday, airport officials estimate it could accommodate up to 3 million commercial passengers annually, starting in late 2027. Assuming commercial flights average 75 passengers, that would equate to about 40,000 operations each year on top of existing private aviation and flight school activities.
Part 139 is the FAA’s formal authorization for an airport to serve scheduled passenger operations by air carriers. Washington Manassas Airport in a news release described it as the “final federal milestone required before the airport can begin commercial passenger service.”
Airport director Juan Rivera in a statement said obtaining the airport operating certificate required “years of detailed preparation.” Per the FAA, that included meeting federal safety standards for runway and taxiway pavement conditions, aircraft rescue and firefighting, emergency planning, personnel training, and more.
Dan Edwards, the FAA’s associate administrator for airports, said Washington Manassas is the first Virginia airport to obtain Part 139 certification in 53 years.
“Commercial flights coming into Manassas will provide more economic growth within the community and create another commercial airport to service the Washington D.C. area,” Edwards said in a statement.
Washington Manassas would become the fourth and smallest commercial airport in the D.C. area, joining Washington Dulles, Reagan National (KDCA), and Baltimore/Washington (KBWI).
Rivera told D.C.’s WJLA-TV that it will gradually ramp up commercial service. He said the airport will initially offer three or four daily round-trip flights to vacation destinations. In five or six years, the plan is to offer about 24 flights per day.
“Hopefully you’d get a flight from Manassas directly to Orlando, for example,” he told the local news station. “Hopefully in the future we’ll be able to throw in a couple business markets, like Chicago for example, or Charlotte.”
Though no passenger airlines have publicly committed to offer commercial service at Washington Manassas, Rivera said he expects a low-cost or ultra-low-cost carrier to be the first. He declined to say which but said the airline will likely be announced later this year.
The airport in its news release said airport manager Avports will play a “key part” in recruiting airlines. Discount carriers Avelo and Breeze Airways both offer service at Avports-operated Tweed New Haven Airport (KHVN) in Connecticut. Avelo ended service at Dulles earlier this year.
Manassas’ Transformation
Washington Manassas is owned and operated by the city of Manassas and contributes more than $517 million to the regional economy while supporting more than 2,300 jobs, per the airport’s news release.
For years, the airport has served only general aviation. It has two runways that are used primarily by private owners and flight schools. But over the past three years, the city of Manassas and Avports have led a $125 million renovation and expansion to accommodate larger commercial aircraft, such as the Boeing 737-800.
The FAA said Monday that, over the past five years, it has separately invested more than $46 million toward runway rehabilitation and other infrastructure improvements at the airport. Construction of a new air traffic control (ATC) tower is expected to wrap up in 2029, while a modernized passenger terminal is scheduled to be complete by fall 2027.
Washington Manassas is also receiving upgrades under the FAA’s $12.5 billion ATC modernization effort.
Copper wiring was transitioned to high-speed fiber in May. A National Airspace System (NAS) voice recorder—similar to an airplane’s black box but installed on the ground—was installed in August to improve the capture, storage, and management of audio communications between pilots, ATCs, and facilities. Also in August, modern voice switches replaced decades-old analog systems.
In October 2027, the airport is scheduled to receive a Surface Awareness Initiative (SAI) system that is designed to enable better aircraft tracking in low-visibility conditions, reducing delays and improving safety as it accommodates more traffic.
The airport could even receive infrastructure for next-generation aircraft such as Electra’s hybrid-electric EL9, which is designed for operations out of soccer field-sized spaces. The company’s EL2 demonstrator recently began flying at Washington Manassas and other local airports, the first activities under a three-year FAA demonstration program.
Reagan National Airport and Dulles International are also undergoing or planning multibillion-dollar renovations.
