TTF NEWS:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FAA has given a $27 million Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant to the City of Williston, N.D., to purchase land to build a new airport to replac Sloulin Field International Airport (KISN).
“This grant reflects our commitment to meet the changing aviation needs of
airports around the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
“As economic and demographic changes occur, the U.S. Department of
Transportation remains committed to helping state and local governments provide
the necessary infrastructure to meet transportation demands.”
North Dakota is the second largest oil-producing state in the United States.
Oil drilling operations have increased Williston’s population and increased
passenger traffic, corporate aviation activity, and cargo operations at Sloulin
Field. From 2008 to 2014, passenger enplanements increased from 10,894 to
114,281, with more growth expected.
The FAA, which has been working with the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission
and the City of Williston to address the region’s aviation needs, recently
completed an Environmental Assessment that identified no significant
environmental concerns with the proposed project.
The new airport will be called Williston Basin International with XWA as the
three-letter airport identifier. It is expected to be open in 2018.
Prior to the environmental work, the FAA funded a master-planning study to
determine how to best address capacity at the existing airport. The study showed
that Sloulin Field is constrained by surrounding development and the cost to
improve the airport is not economically feasible. The study recommended
building a new airport in a different location that could safely accommodate
current and future demand.
This AIP grant will help with the purchase of 1,540 acres of land. The land
transaction is expected to be completed by summer 2016. Construction should
begin in fall 2016.
The total project cost, including land and construction of the new airport, is
an estimated $254 million. The airport will be built in phases, with future
funding from the City of Williston and the State of North Dakota with the
possibility of additional grants from the FAA.
The AIP provides more than $3 billion in annual funding for projects that are
vital to maintaining the safety, security, capacity, efficiency, and
environmental stewardship of the nation’s airports. More than 3,300 airports
are eligible for AIP grants benefiting commercial passengers, cargo operations,
and general aviation activities throughout the nation.