Hoeven Breaks Ground on New $74 Million Air Traffic Control Tower at Grand Forks International Airport

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today joined officials from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Grand Forks International Airport to break ground on a new $74 million air traffic control tower. As a member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Committee, Hoeven worked to secure funding for the FAA’s Air Traffic Control Tower Replacement program, which provided funding for the project. The new tower will replace the existing facility, built in 1987, and stand 197 feet tall, nearly twice the height of the current 104-foot tower, with a 650-square-foot tower cab and a 22,800-squarefoot base building. The tower is expected to be operational in December 2029. Grand Forks International Airport consistently ranks among the top 25 busiest airports in the nation, recording 320,996 takeoffs and landings in 2025, surpassing even Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which recorded 297,737. To support this level of aviation activity and continued growth, Hoeven has worked to secure federal funding for major infrastructure improvements at Grand Forks International Airport, including: $40 million in federal funding for the ongoing $60 million reconstruction of the airport’s primary runway, expected to be completed in 2028. More than $50 million in federal funding for the $70 million extension and reconstruction of the airport’s crosswind runway, completed in 2024. The new tower will also be one of the first facilities in the nation to showcase the Trump administration’s Brand-New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS). Congress provided $12.5 billion toward the nationwide air traffic control modernization effort in the Working Families Tax Cut Act. “With 320,996 takeoffs and landings in 2025, Grand Forks International Airport recorded more aircraft operations than Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, demonstrating its position among the nation’s busiest airports, thanks in large part to the University of North Dakota’s world-class aviation program,” said Hoeven. “We’ve worked hard to ensure our airports can meet air service demand now and into the future. This new tower will improve safety and support continued growth, while our efforts to strengthen the air traffic controller workforce, including expanding training opportunities at UND, will help keep our skies safe and our aviation system operating efficiently.” Hoeven has also worked to address air traffic controller staffing shortages and strengthen the workforce, including: Advancing the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act to modernize mental health policies and reduce barriers to care for pilots and air traffic controllers, which passed the Senate in September 2026. Introducing the Air Traffic Control Workforce Development Act of 2025 with Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jerry Moran to expand training opportunities, including at the University of North Dakota (UND), and improve recruitment and retention. Securing provisions in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to improve air traffic controller staffing models and establish updated hiring targets. Authoring the Air Traffic Controller Hiring Reform Act, signed into law in 2019, to prioritize hiring veterans and graduates of FAA-certified training programs, including UND. -###-