FAA Adds $20M to Replace Duluth Airport’s Aging Control Tower

Total project cost for the new modern facility reaches $66M to make it bigger, better, and safer.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, November 17, 2025 at 03:42 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Artist's rendering of the new ATC tower planned for Duluth International Airport in Minnesota [Credit: Duluth International Airport Facebook page]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is providing an additional $20 million, bringing its total contribution to over $36 million, for the construction of a new air traffic control tower at Duluth International Airport (KDLH).
The new tower will replace the existing structure, which is the third oldest in the U.S. (in service since the 1950s), to improve safety and efficiency with modern equipment and enhanced sight lines.
The project's total cost is $66 million, also supported by $10 million from the state of Minnesota, and the new funding allows for a single construction phase, saving over $5 million.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The FAA is contributing an additional $20 million to Duluth International Airport (KDLH) to help pay for a new air traffic control tower. The Minnesota airport is a city-owned, public-use joint civil-military facility located some 5 miles to the northwest of the city.

The present control tower is the third oldest in the U.S.. It has been in service since the 1950s and, according to the FAA, will be replaced by a modern tower that will “improve safety and efficiency at the airport.”