U.S. FAA announced Monday the opening of the David J. Hurley Air Traffic Control System Command Center, in Warrenton, Va.

FAA said the command center is responsible for managing the overall use of the national airspace system. "Traffic management specialists balance air traffic demand with system capacity, working with aviation stakeholders to handle any constraints in the system, such as weather, runway closures and delays," said FAA, which noted they also coordinate with air traffic controllers at facilities throughout the country to ensure that air traffic moves as smoothly as possible.

"With 5,000 aircraft in the sky over the U.S. at any given moment, the command center plays a critical role in ensuring that all of that traffic is handled safely and efficiently," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt.

The new command center is co-located with FAA's Potomac TRACON that opened in 2002. About 600 employees work at the two facilities, FAA said.