National Guard to Help Pay for Runway Reconstruction

NE – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska announced last month that the National Guard Bureau has committed to use its funding to pay for part of the cost of a planned reconstruction of the runway 18/36 at Lincoln Airport (LNK) in Lincoln, Nebraska. The runway is one of the longest in the country at 12,901 feet due to its former use as an Air Force base. The airport plans to totally rebuild the runway within the next 3-5 years at a cost ranging from $30 to $80 million.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will pay for 90% of the project; however, it will only pay for the length of runway the agency deems necessary for commercial air traffic. It is not yet known, but airport management estimates the FAA will fund about 8,000 to 10,000 feet of the project, with the airport bearing the rest of the cost.

Enter Sen. Fischer, who is on the Senate Commerce Committee. Because Lincoln Airport houses the 155th Air Refueling Wing of the Nebraska Air National Guard with its fleet of eight Boeing KC-135R Stratotankers, she reasoned that the National Guard might be willing to pitch in on the project. The aircraft are heavy at nearly 325,000 pounds, fully loaded and require a longer runway length to operate. Sen. Fischer said that she worked with the Nebraska National Guard, senior leaders at the U.S. Strategic Command, the Department of Defense, the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, and Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, Director of the Air National Guard. Together they crafted a solution based on national security that would fund the entire balance of the project costs not covered by the FAA.