Sioux Gateway Airport

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Sioux Gateway Airport (IATA: SUX, ICAO: KSUX), also known as Brigadier General Bud Day Field, is a public and military airport in Woodbury County, Iowa. It is about 7 miles south of downtown Sioux City and is owned by the City of Sioux City, operated by the Sioux Gateway Airport Authority, and sits at 1,098 feet above sea level on roughly 2,460 acres.

The airport has two runways: 13/31 is 9,002 feet long with a concrete surface, and 18/36 is 6,401 feet long with an asphalt surface. It is home to the 185th Air Refueling Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard, which flies KC-135 tankers, and also serves civilian flights.

Sioux Gateway is named for Col. George E. “Bud” Day, a Sioux City native who received both the Medal of Honor and the Air Force Cross. The airfield’s history goes back to World War II when it was built in 1942 as Sioux City Army Air Base for B-24 and B-17 training. It later became an Air Force Reserve and Iowa Air National Guard base.

Air service at SUX has changed over the years. Frontier Airlines began service to Denver in 2007 but ended in 2008. Delta (which had evolved from Northwest) reduced service and left in 2012. American Eagle started service from Chicago O’Hare in 2012 and ended in 2021. The terminal was renovated in 2011 with help from federal and state funds.

In 2020, enplanements were 17,078. For the year ending December 31, 2021, there were 19,509 aircraft operations, and 66 aircraft were based at SUX (mostly single-engine planes, with some jets and military aircraft). The airport’s IATA code SUX has been controversial because it sounds like a slang word, but some locals have embraced it and even sell “Fly SUX” merchandise.