Airport type Public Website www.xwaproject.com | Elevation AMSL 2,353 ft / 717 m 14/32 7,500 | |
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Owner/Operator City of Williston, North Dakota Serves Williston, North Dakota | ||
Williston Basin International Airport (IATA: XWA) is an airport under construction near Williston, a city in the U.S. state of North Dakota. It is located roughly 10 miles (16 km) northwest of the city. Williston Basin Airport will have two runways and a 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) terminal building. It is being built to replace Sloulin Field International Airport, which currently serves Williston and has experienced difficulty dealing with the increase in air traffic to Williston amid the North Dakota oil boom. The project is expected to be completed by late 2019.
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History
The airport currently serving Williston, North Dakota, is Sloulin Field International Airport. Sloulin Field Airport has dealt with design concerns, constraints on expansion, and the need for runway works. In addition, the airport has 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 is $240 million, which will be 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 delays have delayed the start of construction to mid-2017.
Infrastructure
The airport will have two runways. Runway 14/32 will be the primary runway and have dimensions 7,500 by 150 feet (2,286 m × 46 m), while runway 4/22 will be the crosswind runway and measure 4,500 by 75 feet (1,372 m × 23 m).
The terminal will occupy 110,000 square feet (10,000 m2) and have four gates, three of which will have jet bridges. It will be able to handle 350,000 passengers annually.
Access
Williston Basin International Airport is located about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Williston. A 2-mile (3.2 km) road will be built to connect the airport to the U.S. Route 85 truck bypass.