Mesa Gateway Airport has been selected as one of only two airports in the country to participate in a new Federal Aviation Administration pilot program aimed at modernizing and overhauling parts of the nation’s air traffic control system. The announcement marks a major milestone for the rapidly growing East Valley airport as federal officials attempt to address staffing shortages and improve operational efficiency nationwide.
According to the FAA, the new pilot program is designed to transition certain high-activity contract air traffic control towers into facilities directly managed and staffed by the FAA. Mesa Gateway Airport was selected alongside Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport in Montana as the first two airports to participate in the program.
Mesa Gateway Airport currently operates under the FAA’s Contract Tower Program, which allows private contractors rather than federal employees to handle air traffic control operations. Across the United States, there are more than 450 air traffic control towers, and approximately 264 of them operate under this contract tower system.
Federal officials said Mesa Gateway’s selection was heavily influenced by the airport’s massive growth and high traffic volume. The airport is currently considered the busiest contract tower in the entire country. According to airport officials, the facility handles more than 300,000 aircraft operations annually, including commercial airline traffic, military aircraft, cargo flights, flight training activity, wildfire operations, and general aviation traffic.
The airport also recently reached a major passenger milestone. Mesa Gateway reported that more than two million passengers used the airport in 2025, setting a new record for the facility as growth throughout the East Valley continues accelerating.
ABC15 reported that the FAA’s new program is intended to streamline air traffic control training and operations while helping stabilize staffing levels at busy airports such as Mesa Gateway. Officials say the transition could take between two and four years to fully complete.
The current contract air traffic control operations at Mesa Gateway are managed by Midwest ATC, a private company hired through the FAA’s contract tower system. Under the new pilot program, the FAA would eventually assume direct oversight and operation of the tower itself.
Ryan Smith, a spokesperson for Mesa Gateway Airport, told KJZZ that this marks the first time the FAA has ever attempted this kind of transition from a contract-controlled tower back into a fully FAA-managed tower. Smith described the airport as helping pioneer the process nationally.
Smith explained that airport officials had been working toward this type of modernization effort for roughly 15 years. According to him, the airport long recognized that increasing traffic volume would eventually require expanded airspace capabilities and more stable staffing support. However, previous federal laws created obstacles that made converting a contract tower back into an FAA-operated facility difficult.
Airport leaders and Arizona lawmakers spent years lobbying Congress to create a legal mechanism allowing these conversions to occur. Their efforts eventually led to changes included in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, which established the pilot program now being implemented at Mesa Gateway.
U.S. Representative Greg Stanton was heavily involved in helping create the pilot program. Stanton said Mesa Gateway’s continued growth and long-term safety needs made the modernization effort essential for the East Valley’s future economy and aviation infrastructure.
Airport officials also praised Arizona’s congressional delegation for supporting the legislation that allowed Mesa Gateway to participate in the program. Officials said the transition is expected to create long-term economic benefits throughout the Phoenix East Valley region.
Part of the modernization effort already involved construction of a new FAA-compliant air traffic control tower. Mesa Gateway completed the new $30 million tower project in 2023 using federal funding secured through congressional support.
According to Smith, one of the airport’s biggest concerns has been staffing consistency. Nationwide shortages of certified air traffic controllers have impacted airports throughout the country. Smith explained that FAA-operated towers would sometimes recruit or “poach” experienced controllers away from contract towers like Mesa Gateway in order to fill vacancies elsewhere.
By becoming directly operated by the FAA, airport officials believe Mesa Gateway could maintain more stable staffing levels moving forward. Smith noted that the FAA would likely keep controller staffing more consistent once the airport officially transitions into the federal system.
The report also highlighted how many contract air traffic controllers are military veterans who already possess significant aviation experience. Because FAA hiring age restrictions can prevent some older veterans from entering the traditional FAA training pipeline, many continue their careers through private contract towers instead.
Officials additionally said Mesa Gateway’s airspace modernization plans are still ongoing even beyond the tower transition itself. Smith indicated the airport may eventually seek an upgrade from its current Class Delta airspace designation to Class Charlie airspace. Such a change would significantly expand the airport’s controlled airspace and operational authority around the airport.
Under current Class Delta rules, Mesa Gateway controls airspace up to roughly 2,500 feet above the airport. A future Class Charlie designation could extend controlled airspace much higher and farther outward from the airport, helping accommodate increasing traffic and operational complexity.
Airport officials said such an upgrade would likely require several additional years of planning and implementation. Smith described the process as a major undertaking that could take more than five years to fully complete.
Mesa Gateway Airport has become one of Arizona’s fastest-growing airports in recent years. The airport serves as a major reliever airport for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and functions as a major operating base for Allegiant Air.
Originally built as a military installation during World War II, the airport operated for decades as Williams Air Force Base before eventually transitioning into a civilian airport after the base closed in the 1990s.
The airport’s continued expansion reflects the rapid population growth occurring throughout the Southeast Valley and the broader Phoenix metropolitan area. Future development plans for Mesa Gateway include additional terminal expansion, increased airline service, expanded parking infrastructure, and long-term commercial development surrounding the airport.
Source: ABC15 Arizona
