U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration would provide the Duluth International Airport in Minnesota with an additional $20 million to replace its aging air traffic control tower.
The project, with an anticipated $665 million price tag, will replace the existing tower with a modern facility designed to improve safety and efficiency. The airport had previously been awarded $16.8 million in funds from the Airport Terminal Program. Duffy said the project was a step toward providing the airport with long-overdue upgrades.
“During my visit in August, I saw firsthand the critical need to replace Duluth’s aging air traffic control tower — one of the oldest still used in the country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said. “This $20 million investment moves the project closer to construction and ensures controllers will have the modern equipment they need to keep air travel safe. This administration is delivering real results for communities like Duluth.”
Officials said the existing tower is the third-oldest in the country and was built in the 1950s. The new tower will be double the existing tower’s height and give controllers improved sight lines to the airfield.
“Duluth International Airport has seen remarkable growth over the past decade, with over 150,000 flights last year and increasing traffic throughout 2025,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “Managing a mix of commercial flights, Air National Guard missions, and flight training operations across a complex runway layout demands top-tier facilities. This new tower will give our controllers what they need to keep operations safe and efficient as the airport continues to serve the region.”
Duffy said the extra funding came from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, otherwise known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The new funding would allow the project to move forward in a single construction phase rather than two, saving more than $5 million, officials said.