Sloulin Field International Airport

Replacement by a new, larger airport. Sloulin Field was closed due to its inability to meet the growing demands spurred by the Bakken oil boom. Its single, short runway (6,650 ft) could not accommodate larger aircraft like the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, which were needed to handle the surge in passenger traffic. The airport was landlocked by the city of Williston, preventing any significant expansion of its runway or terminal facilities. To address these limitations, a completely new airport, Williston Basin International Airport (XWA), was constructed at a different location, leading to the planned decommissioning and closure of Sloulin Field.

The site is undergoing a major redevelopment project known as 'Williston Square'. The City of Williston has a master plan to transform the 840-acre former airport property into a new mixed-use urban center. The old runways, taxiways, and airport buildings are being demolished to make way for new infrastructure, including residential neighborhoods, commercial and retail spaces, light industrial parks, and public recreational areas. The goal is to create a new, vibrant district for the city on the land previously occupied by the airport.

Opened in 1947, Sloulin Field International Airport (former IATA: ISN, ICAO: KISN) served as the primary air hub for Williston and the surrounding region for over 70 years. It was named in honor of Jack Sloulin and his son, Jack Sloulin Jr., local aviation pioneers and the airport's original managers. Its 'International' designation was due to the presence of on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection services, which allowed it to process general aviation flights from Canada. For decades, it handled general aviation and commercial flights from regional carriers like Frontier Airlines and Northwest Airlink. During the 21st-century oil boom, it saw a dramatic increase in operations, with Delta Connection and United Express offering multiple daily flights to hubs like Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Denver. The airport became a critical transportation link for the thousands of workers flocking to the region, but its aging and undersized infrastructure was quickly overwhelmed, necessitating its replacement.

There are zero prospects for reopening. The airport has been permanently closed and officially decommissioned. Its replacement, Williston Basin International Airport (XWA), is fully operational with modern facilities and longer runways designed for long-term growth. The land of the former Sloulin Field is already being actively redeveloped for non-aviation purposes, making any return to airport operations impossible.