MANASSAS, Va. (7News) — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presented Washington Manassas Airport with a certificate that opens the door for certain commercial passenger airline services.
FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Daniel J. Edwards gave airport officials the Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate during an event on Monday.
Manassas joins BWI Marshall International, Reagan National, and Dulles International as the fourth airport in the D.C. region allowed to offer commercial flights.
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It does not mean airlines have announced new service at the airport.
“We’re hoping that in November of 2027 we’ll have our first flights,” said airport director Juan Rivera. “We would really like to be open for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.”
Rivera said he expects Washington Manassas Airport, which will be identified by the FAA code HEF, to initially offer about three of four round-trip flights a day to vacation destinations.
“Hopefully you’d get a flight from Manassas directly to Orlando, for example,” Rivera said. “At the very beginning I’d say that we’ll be hitting the vacation markets, and hopefully in the future we’ll be able to throw in a couple business markets, like Chicago for example, or Charlotte.”
Rivera said within about five or six years he is hopeful Washington Manassas Airport will offer about 24 flights a day.
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He said he expects the first airline to offer commercial flights from Manassas will be a low-cost or ultra-low-cost carrier.
“I would say you’ll probably get some good deals,” Rivera said. “If you take a look at what low-cost carriers are out there, look at their destinations, and what they’re charging, I think the folks here in Manassas and in the region will be pleasantly surprised that we’ll have some very competitive pricing.”
Rivera said the airport has an airline it expects will be the first carrier, but he’s not ready to say which one yet. He said it will likely be announced later this year.
The airport plans to build a new terminal that is expected to open in fall 2027. It will eventually be connected to the airport’s current main building as commercial aviation grows. Currently, Manassas only has general aviation – planes that take off there are privately owned or run by a flight school.
The airport is also expected to get a new control tower with modern air traffic control equipment in 2029.
The FAA gave Manassas an airport operating certificate at a ceremony Monday morning.
“This is the pinnacle of aviation for an airport,” said Dan Edwards, Associate Administrator for Airports for the FAA. “For us to permit commercial operations in Manassas, there’s a very, very rigorous set of safety standards that have to be met.”
Edwards said allowing Washington Manassas to have commercial flights will benefit travelers.
“In the end it’s the consumer that wins when we open new airports and we certify new airports,” he said. “It’s not a secret that this is a great location, and this community is thriving.”
Washington Manassas is the first Virginia airport in more than 50 years to receive an airport operating certificate from the FAA. It becomes the 10th commercial service airport in Virginia. The others are Dulles, Reagan National, Charlottesville-Albemarle, Lynchburg, Newport News/Williamsburg, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke-Blacksburg, and Shenandoah Valley.
In April of this year, the Manassas city council voted to rename the airport “Washington Manassas Airport” in hopes of broadening its appeal once commercial service begins. It previously went by Manassas Regional Airport. It is also known as Harry P. Davis Field after a former mayor.