Holiday Travel Provides Boost to Aviation Demand

Posted 12/16/21 (Thu)

North Dakota’s eight commercial service airports posted 83,429 airline passenger boardings during the recent month of November. This amounts to a 95% increase from November 2020 and a 12.5% decrease from the November 2019 pre-pandemic airline boarding counts. Additional travel demand seen during the Thanksgiving weekend was reminiscent of pre-pandemic levels in North Dakota and throughout the rest of the country. The mild winter weather has also helped to ensure that airline flights have been able to proceed with minimal disruptions.

All of the commercial service airports throughout North Dakota have shown an incredible recovery in passenger demand throughout 2021 and some have even eclipsed pre-pandemic demand. The Jamestown and Devils Lake airports have both experienced a full recovery and North Dakota’s largest commercial service airport in Fargo’s Hector International airport just set its best November on record with 37,911 passenger enplanements. This is .2% higher than the previously best November on record for the airport that was set in 2019 and helps to showcase how close North Dakota is to coming to achieve a full recovery in the airline passenger market.

“It’s wonderful to once again see certain airports experience pre-pandemic levels of passengers as the traveling public continues to look to aviation as a safe and comfortable way to bring friends and family together.” stated Kyle Wanner, Executive Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. “This year, our airports and airlines are working particularly hard to accommodate passengers during this busy holiday travel season. We hope to end the year on a high note that provides for positive travel experiences and a continuation of the recovery in passenger demand.”

November 2021 Airline Boarding Press Release and Statistical Information