Photos: Groundbreaking ceremony for large safety project at Tucson International Airport
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Rebecca Sasnett
Photojournalist
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Community partners and stakeholders attend a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
This is the largest project done in the 72 years of Tucson Airport Authority's history, said Danette Bewley, TAA president and CEO.
There will be upgrades to the airfield design to meet current Federal Aviation Administration standards such as demolition of existing runway and construct a full length commercial runway, new taxiways and installation of aircraft-guidance systems.
The ASE program is expected to take a number of years to complete depending on federal funding, said Bewley.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Ken Snyder, left, project manager for Dibble engineering, talks with Tom Murphy, mayor of Sahuarita, about the construction of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of TAA's program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Community partners shovel some dirt during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Tom Bair, engineer for HDR, claps after a speech during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Federal Aviation Administration Western-Pacific region director Mark McClardy speaks during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry speaks during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Phil Swaim, director of Tucson Airport Authority board of directors, claps while wearing a Tucson International Airport mask with fellow community partners during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Scott Sikel, project manger for HDR, places on a hard hat before shoveling dirt during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Sen. Martha McSally speaks during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
A hard hat is placed onto of a shovel before the hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
Tucson Airport Authority Airfield Safety Enhancement Project
Updated
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry speaks during a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety Enhancement (ASE) Program on the north side of Tucson International Airport in Tucson, Ariz., on October 15, 2020.
U.S. customs agency unveils new facility at Tucson airport
UpdatedThe iconic air traffic control tower at Tucson International Airport is now home to a new customs facility.
Officials with Customs and Border Protection and the Tucson Airport Authority unveiled the facility on Friday, which came after a $1.8 million renovation of the 1950s-era tower that has T-U-C-S-O-N in large letters on its exterior.
The tower, at 7081 S. Plumer Ave., went largely unused after air traffic controllers moved to a newer tower on the west side of the airfield in 2016, according to the Airport Authority. Until recently, customs officers worked out of the main terminal, which presented congestion and parking problems.
“We are excited for CBP to be in their new facility at Tucson International Airport. Their new facility provides a great first impression for our arriving international customers,” Danette Bewley, TAA president and CEO, said in a news release.
“The location and the appealing atmosphere of the facility truly welcome business leaders and VIPs to TUS when arriving to our Port of Entry.”
“We could not be happier with the new location,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s director of field operations, Guadalupe Ramirez, said in the news release. “This expansion will allow for future growth of international flights into our area, adding a boost to the economy.”
The airport is a designated port of entry that receives international passengers and cargo that customs officers must inspect.
Customs officers at the airport processed nearly 2,000 aircraft arrivals in 2019, along with more than $1.1 billion worth of international merchandise. They also conducted more than 8,225 Global Entry and SENTRI interviews, according to the Airport Authority. The earliest availability for Global Entry appointments is April 2021.
Community partners and stakeholders attend a hybrid groundbreaking ceremony for the start of Tucson Airport Authority's (TAA) Airfield Safety …
Rebecca Sasnett
Photojournalist
As featured on
A new full-size parallel runway and other improvements will help increase capacity and safety at Tucson International Airport, officials say.
