Sioux City, Iowa (RI) – The project to replace the Sioux City runway that’s being used by the Iowa Air National Guard’s 185th Refueling Wing is included in the defense spending bill the U.S. House approved Wednesday.
Congressman Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says it will protect over a thousand jobs at the Sioux Gateway Airport.
The Iowa Air National Guard’s runway in Sioux City was built for lightweight F-16 fighter jets. Twenty years ago the 185th became a Refueling Wing and flies massive KC-135 Stratotankers that weigh 41.5 tons when fully loaded. The Federal Aviation Administration has said it will soon be unsafe for those planes to use that runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration has set aside $20 million dollars for the project, but that funding would be lost if the Pentagon doesn’t start the project by mid-2027. The estimated cost of replacing the runway and other improvements is nearly $150 million.
The language authorizing the project’s start is included in the massive National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate is expected to soon approve the bill and send to President Trump for his signature.
KIWA Staff File Photo (not the actual runway)
