Suburban airport may need to expand in Pr. William

“We’ve filled up just about every usable acre on that airfield that you can imagine, and we need more,” said G. H. Dimon, vice chairman of the Manassas Airport Commission.

With 27 tenants and 431 planes, the airport is the state’s busiest general aviation airport and handles the fourth most air traffic.

Suburban encroachment and limited expansion possibilities are among the challenges facing the airport, according to a report its leaders are set to present to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors this afternoon.

Although the airport lies mostly within the Manassas City limits, it is bordered on three sides by Prince William County and would likely need the county’s support and cooperation to grow, Dimon said.

The airport commission is planning to conduct a study to assess the best options for expansion.

Train tracks and a lake largely restrict extending the runway, but the airport could use more hangars to accommodate increasing demand for Northern Virginia aircraft.

But the only major unused area, located in the southeastern corner of the airport, has a steep 10- to 12-foot altitude drop, Dimon said, which makes it more difficult to expand within the airport’s property.

The county already partners with the airport to curb new home development near the airport using zoning restrictions and appoints two people to the airport commission, including Dimon.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com