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how can I find out which airports are operated by the FAA and which are FAA-contract (or even independently operated)? I'm currently looking specifically at IWA, Phoenix Gateway Tower.

Matt Welander
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  • I think we need an ASE question asking what is the significance to pilots if a tower is a Contract tower. If it hasn't already been covered-- – quiet flyer Dec 29 '21 at 16:02
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    Does this answer your question? Can an airport without an FAA controlled tower have their own tower and controllers? – randomhead Dec 29 '21 at 19:30
  • The document linked in the as-duplicate thread lists airports that are FCT & NFCT, including IWN (an FCT). Voting to close as duplicate. – Ralph J Dec 30 '21 at 00:16
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    @RalphJ: the suggested duplicate question does not answer the OP's question. The links reference (for example, IFP and VCV) as as NFCTs when they are now (currently) FCTs. This question should stay open in order to answer the specific question asked (it is more current). Also, the question was about IWA not IWN. – –  Dec 30 '21 at 01:46
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    @757toga I think I'll respectfully disagree (except re IWN - that was a typo in my comment). This question asks "how can I tell..." and the answer in the linked question provides links to documents with lists. And the list there includes IWA and matches the info shown below. If the linked documents are out of date, best to fix that in one place (that question) rather than have separate questions linking to differently-dated documents. – Ralph J Dec 30 '21 at 03:19
  • @RalphJ: I get your point. (I was fairly certain it was a typo IWA vs IWN). But as I pointed out, the FCT map (in my answer) shows that there are some current FCTs that are listed (from the linked docs in the duplicate question) as NFCTs (e.g., IFP & VCV; probably many more). This is out of date info and part of the OP's question was what airports were FCTs and NFCTs. If he relies on out of date data his question will remain unanswered. Just my opinion. –  Dec 30 '21 at 03:58
  • @randomhead: Thanks for the nice display of the links in my answer. I'm working only from my phone at the moment and this limits some editing capabilities. The suggested duplicate question is informative but it is out of date. For example, the Western Region doc shows several airports (IFP, HED, VCV, and more) as NFCTs when they are now FCTs. The date on the linked document is 1997. The most current data is shown in my answer. So, if this answer is closed as a duplicate the OP (and others) will be relying on inaccurate info. In this respect it's clearly not a duplicate question. –  Dec 30 '21 at 17:00

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The Air Traffic Control Tower at KIWA (Phoenix - Mesa Gateway Airport) is operated through Serco Management Services Company.

See the remarks section at Skyvector's airport information page:

ATCT OPERATED BY SERCO MGT SERVICES.

The FAA maintains a page with information about the FAA Contract Tower program, including this map (click for direct link):

Map showing all FAA Contract Tower locations in the United States

Note that Non-Federal Contract Towers also exist; see this answer for more information.

Also NOTE: There are other questions on this site that have asked and answered similar questions. Some of the data (relating to FCTs and NFCTs) in the other questions are not current. The data in this answer are current as of the date of the answer.

  • Do they no longer put NFCT (rather than CT) on the sectionals? Or is that something different? – StephenS Dec 29 '21 at 16:17
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    @StephenS: NFCT (non federal control tower) and FCT (federal contract tower) are different. Open the second link in my answer above and look for a link to JO 7210.78. That Order will explain they are two different programs. –  Dec 29 '21 at 17:01
  • StephenS: I believe that on a sectional chart there will be just a "CT" in blue for airports with any type of control tower. – 757toga –  Dec 30 '21 at 00:47