More people boarded airplanes at North Dakota's eight major airports in September than in any previous September on record.
Passenger boardings at the commercial service airports in Bismarck, Minot, Fargo, Grand Forks, Dickinson, Williston, Jamestown and Devils Lake totaled 98,371 — up nearly 8% from September 2023 and 6% higher than the previous September record in 2014.
Boardings remain on pace to set an annual record, according to the state Aeronautics Commission.
The Grand Forks airport saw a boarding decrease of 3.4% in September, but all other airports had an increase: Jamestown, 1%; Dickinson, 3%; Fargo, 5.3%; Bismarck, 11.1%; Williston, 13.3%; Minot, 14.1%; and Devils Lake, 15.7%.
The Fargo and Devils Lake airports set passenger records for the month, at 43,514 and 699, respectively. Both of the cities’ previous records came last year.
Notable service changes during the month included Allegiant Airlines temporarily halting service to Orlando, then resuming the route in October; and Sun Country Airlines resuming twice-weekly direct service from Williston to Las Vegas. That service will continue through Dec. 17.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration in October awarded $2 million to Hector International Airport in Fargo for the next phase of a terminal upgrade project, according to U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, R- N.D. Grand Forks International Airport is getting $1 million through the U.S. Department of Transportation to help set up nonstop service between the city and Denver via SkyWest Airlines.
Year-to-date boardings statewide after September stand at 913,588, up 9.3% from the same time frame in 2023. Bismarck is up 14%, Dickinson is up 9% and Williston is 25.5% higher.
The average aircraft load statewide in September was 78%. There were 1,567 flight departures and two cancellations, for a cancellation rate of 0.1%.
The full report is at https://bit.ly/3BZJkV8.
Travelers can fly nonstop out of Bismarck to Minneapolis, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Orlando and Tampa Bay.
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