North Dakota receives a newly constructed airport
The city of Williston, North Dakota, is set to unveil a new airport, the Williston Basin International, in 2018. This ambitious project, expected to cost approximately $254 million, has been awarded a $27 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program.
The old St. George Municipal Airport in Utah was replaced by the St. George Regional Airport in 2011, due to a lack of room for expansion to handle traffic growth. Similarly, the existing Sloulin Field International Airport in Williston will be replaced by the new airport to cater to the growing demand.
The new airport project in Williston was named "Williston Basin International" to reflect its service to the Williston Basin region. Its three-letter IATA airport code is XWA.
The construction of the new airport is scheduled to begin next fall, following in the footsteps of other notable U.S. airports that have been built or upgraded in recent years. For instance, the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened in 2010, costing $318 million, while Missouri's Branson Airport began operations in 2009, at a cost of $155 million.
The Denver International Airport, one of the busiest in the U.S., opened in 1995, at a cost of $4.8 billion.
The funding for these projects often comes from a mix of AIP grants, bonds, and the traveler Passenger Facility Charge fee. According to Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the annual funding need for successful airport projects is $15.1 billion. Over the next five years, U.S. airports have a collective funding need of $75.7 billion, as estimated by ACI-NA.
The Williston Basin International Airport will be served by Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines. The new airport is expected to play a significant role in supporting the city's growth, particularly in the oil industry, as Williston is located in the Bakken formation, which holds massive reservoirs of oil in the shale.
As the construction of the new airport progresses, Williston residents and visitors can look forward to modern facilities and improved connectivity, further bolstering the city's position as a hub for the oil industry and a valuable asset for North Dakota.
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