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Airport in Virginia, United States

Manassas Regional Airport
Harry P. Davis Field
Logo in use since 2026.
HEF airfield in 2021.
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Manassas
ServesWashington, D.C. metropolitan area
LocationManassas, Virginia, U.S.
Opened1964 (current facility)
1931
Time zoneEST (UTC–5)
Elevation AMSL192 ft (59 m)
Coordinates38°43′17″N 077°30′56″W / 38.72139°N 77.51556°W / 38.72139; -77.51556
Public transit access
 Virginia Railway Express:
Broad Run–Airport station
Websitehttps://flyhef.com
Map
HEF is located in Virginia
HEF
HEF
Location within Virginia
Show map of Virginia
HEF is located in the United States
HEF
HEF
Location within the United States
Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16L/34R 6,200 1,890 Asphalt
16R/34L 3,715 1,132 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Aircraft operations102,414
Based aircraft417
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Manassas Regional Airport (IATA: MNZ[2][3], ICAO: KHEF, FAA LID: HEF) – now known as Washington Manassas Airport and also as Harry P. Davis Field – is a public airport located in Manassas, Virginia, 40 miles (64 km) west-southwest of Washington, D.C.[4] Previously known as Manassas Regional Airport, the airport is undergoing major reconstruction, and is slated to begin commercial passenger flight operations in Spring 2027 as the fourth commercial airport servicing the Washington Metropolitan area.[5]

Virginia’s largest general aviation airport, HEF serves law enforcement, military, and medivac aircraft and numerous flight schools. In the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, HEF is a reliever airport for the much larger Dulles International Airport (IAD) located 15 miles to its north, as well as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). All lie within the heavily controlled Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area.

History

[edit]
The HEF terminal building before renovations.

An airport for Manassas was proposed in 1930, when the mayor was Harry P. Davis.[6] It was built in 1931 on 94 acres (0.38 km2)[7] along Virginia Route 234, in the area now known as Manaport Shopping Center. Originally owned privately, the Town of Manassas bought the airport in 1945.[8] Resulting from the impact of airport activity on nearby housing development, the airport opened in its current location in December 1964. The new airport opened with a single 3,700-by-100-foot (1,128 m × 30 m) paved runway. The airport's IATA code was changed from WOU to the current MNZ between mid-1976 and mid-1977.[citation needed] In 1992, the city purchased a control tower from Centennial Airport near Denver and reassembled it at Manassas Regional Airport. A new terminal was built in 1996.[9]

The airport saw commercial airline service by Colgan Airways in the 1970s and 1980s with flights to Washington Dulles International Airport and continuing onto Binghamton, NY. Colgan was based at the Manassas airport and flew Beechcraft 99 and Beechcraft 1900 commuter aircraft. From late 1985 through early 1987 Colgan teamed up with New York Air and was known as New York Air Connection providing feeder flights for the larger carrier. In early 1987 New York Air merged into Continental Airlines and Colgan operated as a Continental Express feeder carrier, with service to Manassas ending soon after. Colgan returned to Manassas in the mid-1990s operating under their own brand and providing flights to Washington Dulles. Its discontinuance marked the end of the airport's commercial passenger operations[10]

Washington Manassas Airport

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In June 2023, the city of Manassas received a proposal from airport operator Avports to relaunch commercial passenger flights, with "multiple interested parties."[11] The City Council approved the proposal unanimously on July 24, 2023, and stated that they expected commercial operations to resume in two years.

On May 12, 2026, the FAA approved the city's renaming of Manassas Regional Airport to Washington Manassas Airport, a change reportedly sought by major airlines for search engine optimization.[4][12] The airport immediately publicly rebranded.[12] Soon after, the airport announced it had allocated $38 million for the purchase of a new control tower.[13] A $50 million project to expand and renovate the passenger terminal and add additional gates, jetways, and parking is underway.[14] Commercial flights are targeted for Spring 2027.[15][16]

Facilities

[edit]
Hangars and control tower at Manassas Regional Airport

The airport covers 888 acres (359 ha) at an elevation of 192 feet (59 m). It has two asphalt runways: 16L/34R is 6,200 x 100 feet (1,737 x 30 m) and 16R/34L is 3,715 x 75 feet (1,132 x 29 m).[17]

In the year ending December 31, 2021 the airport had 87,900 aircraft operations, average 241 per day: 98% general aviation, 1% air taxi and 1% military. 374 aircraft were then based at this airport: 287 single-engine aircraft, 46 multi-engine aircraft, 24 jets, and 17 helicopters.[1]

Manassas houses 26 businesses operating onsite ranging from airframe, powerplant, and avionics maintenance, as well as flight schools and aircraft charter. APP Jet Center and Chantilly Air are the airport's two fixed base operators (FBOs) with Chantilly Air opening in March, 2021. Dulles Aviation had previously run the first FBO at the airport from the 1980s until closing its doors in May 2019 and was responsible for a lot of the airport's growth.

One operator at the airport is Quest Diagnostics, who operate PC-12s and TBM 700s at the airfield. Quest Diagnostics specialize in transporting medical samples and tests across the US. They grew massively during the COVID-19 pandemic as the need for rapid transportation of tests and specimens grew exponentially.[18][19]

Small planes at Manassas Regional Airport

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "FAA Airport Form 5010 for HEF" (PDF). FAA. , effective 2023-07-13
  2. ↑ Great Circle Mapper (IATA: MNZ)
  3. ↑ "Airline and Airport Code Search". IATA. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 "FAA Approves Name Change: Manassas Regional Airport Becomes Washington Manassas Airport". Potomac Local News. 2026-05-19. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  5. ↑ Williams, Debbie (2026-04-14). "Manassas Regional Airport Is Getting a New Name". Northern Virginia Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  6. ↑ "Manassas Airport Dedication Is Set: State and Federal Officials to Attend Ceremony on Wednesday". The Washington Post. June 5, 1932. p. 8. ProQuest 150345581.
  7. ↑ "Manassas Airport to Be Begun Soon: Citizens Buy 94 Acres for Emergency Landing". The Washington Post. June 16, 1931. p. 22. ProQuest 150228975.
  8. ↑ "Leased Airport Is Purchased By Manassas". The Washington Post. October 21, 1945. p. M3. ProQuest 151778685.
  9. ↑ Airport History at City of Manassas website
  10. ↑ Official Airline Guide
  11. ↑ "New Airport in the D.C. Area? Manassas Airport Eyes Commercial Service in Two Years". AeroXplorer. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  12. 1 2 Delean, Cameron (2026-04-14). "'Washington Manassas Airport' name change approved by Manassas City Council". WTOP News. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  13. ↑ "Washington Manassas Airport kicks off $38M tower project as commercial service nears". Washington Business Journal. 2026-05-20. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  14. ↑ "Washington Manassas Airport kicks off $38M tower project as commercial service nears". Washington Business Journal. 2026-05-20. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  15. ↑ Muzyk, Cher (2025-12-09). "Not ready for takeoff: Commercial flights from Manassas at least 2 years away". Prince William Times. Retrieved 2026-01-04.
  16. ↑ "FAA Approves Name Change: Manassas Regional Airport Becomes Washington Manassas Airport". Potomac Local News. May 19, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  17. ↑ FAA
  18. ↑ To test during a pandemic, it takes an airline, vol. Video, YouTube: Washington Post, 2020-06-20, retrieved 2023-08-22
  19. ↑ Staff, Ars (2020-04-29). "Appearing nightly, the Quest Diagnostics Air Force". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
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