Rural ND Airports Receive Federal Grants for Improvements

DICKINSON, N.D. (AP) — Rural airports in North Dakota that are seeing an increase in business because of the western oil boom are getting millions of dollars in state oil impact grants.

The state Legislature earlier this year approved $60 million over the two-year budget period to help deal with the growth, the Jamestown Sun reported. The state Aeronautics Commission is in charge of doling out the money.

Commission aviation planner Kyle Wanner says the Mohall airport is a good case study of what's happening in western North Dakota. He says the small airport went from housing three airplanes to 25 within just one year.

Wanner says many small airports weren't designed to handle such an increase, and they need money for improvements.