EDITOR’S NOTE: Rod Hall, chairman of the Washington Manassas Airport Commission and a former head of Legislative Affairs at the Federal Aviation Administration, submitted the commentary below. The views are the writer’s. Potomac Local has not independently confirmed every figure in the letter.
Aviation is often discussed in terms of destinations—where an aircraft is going and when it will arrive. But airports are much more than points of departure and arrival. They are economic-development engines that connect businesses to markets, attract investment, support high-quality jobs and strengthen surrounding communities.
Washington Manassas Airport demonstrates that impact every day. As Virginia’s busiest general aviation airport, it supports business aviation, flight training, public safety, emergency response and other essential activity across the Commonwealth and the National Capital Region. According to the Virginia Department of Aviation’s most recent economic-impact study, the airport generates approximately half a billion dollars in economic output.
That record provides a strong foundation, but past success alone will not prepare Virginia for aviation’s next chapter. Population growth, technological change, increasing demand and evolving national-security requirements are reshaping the industry. To remain competitive, our region must make deliberate investments in infrastructure, innovation and people.
First, we must modernize the physical infrastructure on which aviation depends. Airports require safe and efficient runways, taxiways, terminals, air-traffic facilities, emergency-response capabilities and surface transportation connections. At Washington Manassas, securing a modern air-traffic-control tower remains a critical priority. Such projects are not simply airport improvements; they are investments in safety, economic competitiveness and regional capacity.
Second, the Washington region needs coordinated—not territorial—airport planning. Washington Dulles International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall and Washington Manassas serve different but complementary roles. Washington Manassas has long helped relieve pressure on the region’s larger commercial airports by accommodating general aviation traffic. As the airport enters its next phase of commercial service offerings, regional cooperation will be more productive than competition driven by jurisdictional boundaries.
Coordination does not diminish the importance of any airport. It recognizes that aviation operates as a system. Decisions involving airspace, transportation connections, infrastructure, workforce development and economic growth affect the entire region. Success should be measured not only by the performance of individual airports, but also by how effectively the system serves passengers, businesses and communities.
Third, we must embrace innovation while maintaining aviation’s uncompromising commitment to safety. Advanced air mobility, unmanned aircraft systems, counter-drone technology, improved emergency-response tools and data-driven airport operations are no longer distant concepts. Virginia can become a national proving ground for technologies that improve safety, expand mobility and create new industries. Airports such as Washington Manassas, in collaboration with nearby George Mason University, are well positioned to provide the operating environment and partnerships necessary to move promising ideas into responsible use.
Finally, infrastructure investment must create opportunity for the people who live around it. Aviation needs pilots, mechanics, air-traffic professionals, engineers, firefighters, cybersecurity specialists, construction workers, technology experts and business leaders. Building that workforce requires stronger partnerships among airports, public schools, community colleges, universities, historically Black colleges and universities, labor organizations and private employers.
Our region’s young people should look at an airport and see more than airplanes. They should see careers, entrepreneurship and a pathway into one of America’s most advanced industries. Local and small businesses should likewise have meaningful opportunities to participate in airport construction, operations and emerging technologies.
The federal government, the Commonwealth, local governments and private industry all have roles to play. The Federal Aviation Administration provides the safety oversight that underpins confidence in our aviation system. The Virginia Department of Aviation helps airports pursue innovation, improve infrastructure and demonstrate their economic value. Local leaders and private partners must translate those resources into projects that address community needs and deliver measurable results.
From my vantage point as chairman of the Washington Manassas Airport Commission, the direction is clear: Virginia must treat aviation as a central component of its economic-development strategy. That means modernizing infrastructure, planning collaboratively, responsibly embracing technology and ensuring surrounding communities share in the resulting opportunity.
The regions that prepare now will lead the next era of aviation. Washington Manassas is ready to contribute—not as an isolated airport, but as a strong and complementary part of Virginia’s aviation system and the National Capital Region for generations yet to come.
Rod Hall
Chairman, Washington Manassas Airport Commission
Former head of Legislative Affairs, Federal Aviation Administration
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