“Washington Manassas Airport Has Entered the Chat”

FAA certification clears a major hurdle for scheduled passenger service as Manassas prepares for commercial flights.

2-MINUTE BRIEF

WHAT HAPPENED: Washington Manassas Airport received its FAA Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate, a major federal safety certification required for airports serving scheduled passenger airline operations.

WHY IT MATTERS: Part 139 certification means the airport has met FAA operating and safety requirements covering areas such as runway conditions, signs and markings, aircraft rescue and firefighting, fueling, wildlife hazards and emergency procedures.

WHAT IT DOES NOT MEAN: Commercial flights are not starting immediately. No airline, destinations or first-flight date have been publicly announced.

WHAT’S NEXT:

Airport officials are continuing terminal and infrastructure work needed for passenger service. The City is also moving ahead with a replacement air traffic control tower, a separate project that does not have to be completed before commercial service begins.

Washington Manassas Airport has reached one of the most significant milestones in its effort to bring scheduled commercial passenger service to Manassas.

After roughly 18 months of planning, training, testing and improvements, the airport received its FAA Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate.

The certificate allows an airport to serve certain scheduled and unscheduled passenger airline operations and confirms compliance with federal operating and safety standards.

Noting the amount of press in the room, Airport Commission Chairman Roderick Hall joked that he wanted his children to hear him say:

“Washington Manassas Airport has entered the chat.”

What Part 139 Means

Federal regulations require Part 139 certification for airports serving scheduled passenger-carrying airline operations using aircraft designed for more than nine passenger seats, along with certain larger unscheduled passenger operations.

The certification process covers airport operating and safety standards, including runway and taxiway conditions, signs and markings, aircraft rescue and firefighting, fueling procedures, wildlife hazards and emergency preparedness.

Washington Manassas Airport had already completed another major federal step July 30, when the FAA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision for the airport’s Part 139 Certification and Terminal Redevelopment Program.

The airport now has the federal operating certification needed for scheduled commercial passenger service.

It does not, however, mean travelers can book flights from Manassas yet.

No airline, routes, or service start date have been announced.

Eighteen Months of Preparation

Airport officials repeatedly emphasized the amount of work that went into reaching the certification milestone.

In remarks at the ceremony, airport leadership described the previous 18 months as a period of preparation, planning, training, testing and facility improvements designed to make sure the airport was ready when FAA inspectors arrived.

“Today isn’t just about receiving a certificate,” one speaker told the gathering. “It’s about what that certificate represents.”

The remarks described the certification as confirmation that the airport had met a high federal standard and as the beginning of a new chapter for Washington Manassas Airport.

“We have worked hard to get ready for commercial service,” the speaker said. “Now it’s time to put all that preparation to use.”

More Than Any City Limits

The airport has long served a region larger than the City of Manassas itself.

Sen. Danica Roem emphasized that point during the ceremony, saying:

“Manassas is bigger than any city or county lines.”

Her remarks focused on the airport’s regional nature and the opportunity commercial service could create for more visitors to reach Manassas and the surrounding community.

Washington Manassas Airport already has more than 400 based aircraft and more than 90,000 annual aircraft operations. The airport describes itself as Virginia’s busiest general aviation airport.

How Manassas Got Here

The current effort to establish scheduled passenger service took shape in 2023, when the City of Manassas selected Avports as its private partner.

Avports is an airport management and development company. Under a 40-year agreement with the City, it is responsible for developing, financing and operating the commercial-passenger side of Washington Manassas Airport, while the City continues to own the airport.

That public-private partnership was a recurring theme at Monday’s ceremony. City, state, federal and airport officials pointed to the project as an example of public infrastructure and private investment moving forward together.

Since then, the airport and Avports have worked through federal environmental review, Part 139 certification and planning for terminal, parking, roadway and airfield improvements. In 2026, Manassas Regional Airport was renamed Washington Manassas Airport as officials positioned it more clearly within the Washington-area aviation market. The airport continues to use the FAA identifier HEF. On July 30, the FAA completed its environmental review. On Aug. 31, the airport received its Part 139 Airport Operating Certificate.

What Still Has to Happen

The Part 139 certificate is a major milestone, but additional work remains before scheduled passenger flights begin.

Airport plans call for terminal, parking, roadway and airfield improvements associated with commercial service.

The City is also pursuing a replacement for the airport’s existing air traffic control tower. That project is separate from the Part 139 certification and commercial-service terminal work.

The largest unanswered questions for travelers remain straightforward:

Which airline will serve Manassas?

Where will it fly?

When will the first scheduled passenger flight depart?

Those announcements have not been made yet.

A Long Aviation History

Manassas has been part of regional aviation for nearly a century.

The community’s first airport officially opened June 8, 1932, near what is now the Manaport Shopping Center along Route 234. The City later relocated the airport to its current site, where the new Manassas Municipal Airport was dedicated Sept. 20, 1964.

Colgan Airways was founded at Manassas Airport in 1965. Beginning in the early 1970s, Colgan operated scheduled charter flights under contract with IBM between Manassas, Washington Dulles and New York. That service ended in 1986 when IBM no longer needed it.

That history is different from the public scheduled airline service now being pursued, but it means passenger airline operations are not entirely new to the airport.

In the decades since, the airport has grown into Virginia’s busiest general aviation airport, supporting private aviation, flight training, business, public safety, military and medical operations.

With Part 139 certification now in hand, the next major public milestones will be the airline, routes and start date for scheduled commercial passenger service