Airlines and destinations Passenger Cargo Air National Guard The Iowa Air National Guard has occupied an area located at the end of the runway since the 1960s and has been home to the 132nd Wing. With the increased need of RPA, Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and cyber warfare in the 21st century the U.S. Air Force transitioned the 132nd from a F-16 Falcon fighter unit to an ISR and cyber warfare unit starting in 2013. This ended the 132nd's nearly 70-year history as a fighter wing having previously flown P-51 Mustangs then the F-84 Thunderstreak, F-100 Super Sabre, A-7 Corsair II and finally transitioning to the F-16 Falcon in the 1980s. Initially it had been considered to transition the wing to the A-10 Thunderbolt II in 2014 but it was felt by Iowa legislators that the ISR mission would offer more training and skills to the Airmen of the 132nd which would be applicable in the 21st century and help boost the Iowa economy. The 132nd participated in air combat during World War II, Desert Storm, and the Iraq War. These mission changes created some debate over the base's status as an aeronautical base, as the Des Moines Airport attempted to void the base's lease and charge 'fair market value', consistent with FAA funding rules at the time. In addition, the removal of the fighters had resulted in the disbanding of the guard's firefighting unit, forcing the airport to privatize firefighting operations which the base had previously provided. The dispute was addressed in the short term by the reassignment of Black Hawk helicopters from Company C, 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment, Iowa Army National Guard, from Boone, IA to the base, occupying the hangars that formerly held F-16s. This issue was permanently resolved by President Obama's signature on H.R. 5944, which allowed airports continued access to FAA grant funding by classifying RPA operations as aeronautical. With the addition of the Army National Guard unit to the base, a transition to a joint base status has begun. Eventually, Air Force operations will occupy the area to the west of the main gate, while Army operations will occupy the east. Statistics Annual traffic Top destinations Accidents and incidents On December 2, 1978, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway while on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois. Airframe icing was a factor in the accident. On November