U.S. Federal Aviation Administration sent this bulletin at 10/22/2026 11:15 AM EDT
Week of October 19, 2026
New Training Equipment Comes to Three Air Traffic Control Towers
Air traffic control towers at Tri-Cities Airport in Washington, Columbus Airport in Georgia and Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York now have the latest air traffic controller training equipment. Controllers at these three airports are using new Tower Simulation Systems (TSS) which can speed up training times by almost 30 percent. The TSS shows real airport layouts, allowing controllers to practice operations and scenarios using simulated traffic.
We’re installing 117 of these systems at airports across the country as part of our Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS). You can learn more about all the BNATCS upgrades by visiting the Modern Skies webpage.
Columbus Airport
Brand New Towers Coming to Airports Across the Country
The FAA is celebrating groundbreakings for three new air traffic control towers this week. FAA Associate Administrator for Airports Chris Kelly stopped at Washington Manassas Airport (MNZ) where members of Congress joined city, county and airport officials to tout a new tower that will replace the current 34-year-old tower. The new tower will be 145 feet tall, double the size of the current one. Also this week, Max Westheimer Airport (OUN) at the University of Oklahoma, a federal contract tower, and Grand Forks International Airport in North Dakota are both celebrating construction on new towers.
This week’s guest Weather Squad forecaster is Lauren Bostwick with CBS News Texas. Lauren is forecasting rain for parts of the country during the week and a soggy weekend for those out in Florida.
ICYMI
The FAA issued the certification for Boeing’s 737 Max-10. The certification comes after years of review and requirements, including NTSB recommendations. The aircraft, which includes new key safety features and reduced fuel consumption, can now be delivered to domestic and foreign carriers. Read more about the Max-10 certification in our latest press release.
