MESA, Ariz. — The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport has nearly completed its newest addition to the aviation area.
A cab has been added to the control tower making it 174 feet tall. Although the cab is the latest in renovations, the airport said that it will be about another year before the tower is fully operational.
Watch a timelapse of the construction here.
Change is not new to the airport area. Before becoming a commercial facility, the site was used as a U.S. Air Force base to train pilots for World War II.
According to the airport website, 26,500 people earned their wings at the Williams Airforce Base. It was a facility well-known for its advanced aviation school that opened on July 16, 1941.
During its time as a U.S. Air Force base, 25% of the national air force's pilots came from Arizona.
In 1993, the base closed and became the Williams Gateway Airport in 1994. The name was changed to the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in 2007.
The newest additions are made to accommodate the growing airport with more flight company affiliations and city connections.
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