November 21, 2022
The demand for air travel in North Dakota has continued its steady recovery throughout 2022 and passenger levels have stabilized to approximately 7% below pre-pandemic numbers. North Dakota’s air service continues to show an elevated level of demand for the seats that are available, and passengers continue to experience airline flights that are at or close to capacity. This strong demand is expected to continue throughout the holiday season and it is recommended that passengers work to secure tickets a few weeks in advance of any planned trips if possible.
October 19, 2022
North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports posted a total of 84,925 airline passenger boardings during the month of September, 2022. This is a 13% increase from the 74,943 boardings that the state experienced last year in September, 2021. It is also only 5% below September 2019’s pre-pandemic passenger counts of 89,925.
September 19, 2022
North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports posted a total of 85,167 airline passenger boardings during the month of August, 2022. This is a 3% increase from the 82,167 boardings that the state experienced in August, 2021. It is also approximately 16% below August 2019’s pre-pandemic passenger counts of 101,784.
August 22, 2022
North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports posted a total of 89,865 airline passenger boardings during the recent month of July. This is a decline of 3,057 passengers or a 3.3% decrease in passenger numbers from July of 2021. North Dakota’s airline passenger counts are currently following a national trend where passenger growth over the last year has leveled to approximately 15% below 2019’s pre-pandemic passenger counts. This is mainly a result of the limited seat capacity and flight departures that are currently available to the traveling public as those levels continue to remain below pre-pandemic levels.
July 20, 2022
North Dakota’s air travel demand during the summer months remains strong as our residents and visitors take advantage of the state’s air service opportunities. During the first half of calendar year 2022, North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports provided a total of 497,322 passenger boardings. This is a growth of 118,498 passengers or a 31% increase when comparing the statewide passenger counts to the first six months of 2021.
July 20, 2022
Steve Blazek was recently appointed by Governor Burgum to serve on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission for a 5-year appointment that became effective on July 1st, 2022. Steve is a Senior Vice President of Business Banking at First International Bank & Trust in Fargo. He has more than 38 years of experience in the banking industry and helps business customers find lending, deposit, and treasury management solutions to help reach their financial goals.
July 15, 2022
Goal-setting for disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) with capabilities in the transportation industry is required by 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 26. The following goal is applicable for the 2023-2025 federal fiscal years (October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025).
June 16, 2022
The commercial service airports throughout the state have been reporting that overall airline load factors have been high and that conversations with airline partners requesting additional flights and seat capacity has been ongoing. A high load factor indicates that an airline has sold most of its available seats and is an indicator of strong demand. The available seats and flights available to the traveling public throughout North Dakota is currently still lower than pre-pandemic levels as airlines continue to communicate difficulties in adding capacity into the system due to workforce challenges. In order to once again see sustainable growth above pre-pandemic levels, additional flights and/or larger aircraft with additional seats will need to be added into the state’s system.
June 16, 2022
On June 16th, the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission met and finalized approximately $8.5 million in state infrastructure grant allocations to multiple public airports throughout North Dakota. These state grants are critical in maintaining the needed infrastructure to support the aviation industry, which is major contributor to the state’s overall economy and standard of living.
May 16, 2022
North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports posted a total of 76,553 airline passenger boardings during the month of April, 2022. This is a 23% increase from the 62,168 boardings that the state experienced in April, 2021. It is also approximately 17% below April 2019’s pre-pandemic passenger counts of 92,063. The multiple heavy snowstorms that our state experienced in April provided increased challenges for our airports and passengers as North Dakota experienced a larger than normal airline cancellation rate which resulted in a lower-than-expected statewide passenger count for the month.