Lincoln Air National Guard Base

Lincoln Airport (LNK), formerly Lincoln Municipal Airport, is a joint public/military airport located five miles northwest of downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. Owned by the Lincoln Airport Authority, it serves as the second-largest airport in Nebraska and is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility. The airport's origins trace back to the early 1920s, with Charles Lindbergh learning to fly there in 1922. It became an air mail stop in 1928 and a United Air Lines stop in 1927. During World War II, it operated as Lincoln Army Air Field for basic flight training under contract. The military presence continued post-war with the Nebraska Air National Guard's 173rd Fighter Squadron and Naval Air Station Lincoln.

In 1952, the United States Air Force took over the airport, establishing Lincoln Air Force Base, which supported Boeing B-47 Stratojet bombers, KC-97 Stratofreighter refueling aircraft, and SM-65 Atlas intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Air Force closed the installation in 1966, returning it to civilian control. Today, Lincoln Airport covers 5,000 acres and features three asphalt/concrete runways: 18/36 (12,901 ft), 14/32 (8,649 ft), and 17/35 (5,800 ft). The 12,901-foot primary runway was a designated emergency landing site for the Space Shuttle and can handle heavy military aircraft like the C-5 Galaxy and Boeing E-4.

The airport is home to Lincoln Air National Guard Base, where the Nebraska Air National Guard's 155th Air Refueling Wing (155 ARW) operates KC-135R Stratotanker aircraft. Several Nebraska Army National Guard units are also collocated at the installation. The Air National Guard's tarmac is restricted to general aviation and secured by the 155th Security Forces Squadron. The airport completed a major renovation project, "LNK Next," in 2024, expanding its terminal to six gates.