FORT WAYNE INTERNATIONAL BUILDS NEW FLIGHT TOWER
The new tower brings much more than a fresh face to the airport.
Built in 1975 at a meager 7 stories, the airport’s current tower was largely in need of an update. Standing only 90 feet, the old tower’s visibility was no longer the best it could be and advancing technology seemed to be leaving it in the dust. That, in conjunction with the tornado damage suffered in 1993, was enough reason to entertain the possibility of remodeling. Built in 2006, the new tower contains a more efficient, yet unique layout. It is typical for a larger airport, such as Chicago’s O’Hare, to have the radar room (or TRACON) in other buildings, or even other cities away from the original tower. However, the new tower not only combines the TRACON and the lookout area (or cab) as it was in the old tower, it also has offices for the weather and maintenance technicians as well. The building also allows larger conference rooms, state-of-the-art equipment, and well-equipped training facilities. Concentrating all of these offices into one area gives air traffic controllers the freedom to work in a variety of areas, instead of strictly one station.
Due to delays in construction, Fort Wayne International staff should be expected to move to the new tower before the end of the year. Arrangements have already been made to disassemble the old tower once the staff gets acclimated. The new tower is reported to be the first of many new developments to occur in the area. It is expected that those impending accounts will be announced soon.
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