Williston Basin International Airport


Williston Basin International Airport is an airport serving Williston, a city in the U.S. state of North Dakota. It is located roughly northwest of the city. Williston Basin Airport has one runway and a terminal building. It was built to replace Sloulin Field International Airport, which previously served Williston and had experienced difficulty dealing with the increase in air traffic to Williston amid the North Dakota oil boom. The airport opened to the public on October 10, 2019.

History

The airport previously serving Williston, North Dakota, was Sloulin Field International Airport. Sloulin Field Airport had dealt with design concerns, constraints on expansion, and the need for runway works. In addition, the airport had difficulty coping with a significant rise in air traffic amid the North Dakota oil boom.
In 2011, officials began to consider either making renovations to Sloulin Field or building a new airport. The cost of refurbishments is less than that of constructing a new airport; however, officials determined that building a new airport was the cheaper option. Not having to limit air service to Williston during construction at Sloulin Field would save revenue, and the city would gain from decommissioning the old airport and selling the land. The total cost of the project was $240 million, which was paid by the FAA, the state of North Dakota, and the city of Williston.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 10, 2016, with several members of the state government in attendance. Procedural and weather-related problems delayed the start of construction to mid-2017. The airport opened to the public on October 10, 2019, with short-haul service to Minneapolis/St. Paul by Delta Connection and Denver by United Express. Shortly after the airport's opening, both carriers began using larger regional jets on some flights accommodating up to 76 passengers as compared to smaller 50-seat planes used previously in Williston.

Infrastructure

The airport has one runway named 14/32 with dimensions of. A crosswind runway 4/22 which measures is scheduled for construction in 2020. The terminal occupies and has four gates, three of which have jet bridges. It can handle up to 350,000 passengers annually.
In June 2020, there were 49 aircraft based at this airport: 42 single-engine, 5 multi-engine, and 2 helicopter. Currently, the FAA does not have any published aircraft operations data for this airport.

Access

Williston Basin International Airport is located about northwest of Williston. A road was built to connect the airport to the U.S. Route 85 truck bypass.

Airlines and destinations

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