NAV Canada building new tower at Waterloo, Ont. airport
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
The new facility will also feature office space, a conference room, a fitness room, lunch room and a training room
OTTAWA and WATERLOO, Ont.—Civil air navigation services provider NAV Canada is building a new air traffic control tower at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.
The new structure will replace the existing tower built 45 years ago. Work is set to begin this month and is anticipated to be completed by the summer 2017.
“The new tower will be significantly taller than what we have today. The added height will improve controllers’ sightlines to all the airport’s runways, taxiways and aprons,” says Rudy Kellar, NAV Canada executive vice-president of service delivery. “The tower cab will be larger and provide controllers with a 360-degree view of the airfield.”
At 19.4 metres high, the new tower will be almost five metres (16 ft.) taller than the present structure; a 33 per cent increase.
“We are very pleased that NAV CANADA is modernizing their air traffic control service with a new state-of-the-art control tower,” said Ken Seiling, Waterloo Regional Chair. “This new facility will be well suited for the existing traffic and will meet the future needs of our airport.”
“The Region of Waterloo International Airport is an important gateway for the region and I am pleased that NAV CANADA is making this significant investment in the airport,” says the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport. “These types of investments in our aviation infrastructure will benefit both residents and businesses in the area.”
“The current tower was built in 1969,” notes Kellar. “At that time it was situated near the centre of the airport. Since then, runway 08/26 has been extended a further 3,300 feet to the east which put the centre well east of the tower’s location.”
The new facility will also feature much needed office space, a conference room, a fitness room, a quiet lounge, a lunch room and a training classroom. For controllers working in the cab there will be three new ergonomically designed consoles.
NAV Canada provides air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information services, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.
