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(Bismarck, ND) – The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission reports that the state's eight commercial service airports established a new September passenger boarding record with 104,380 passengers in 2026. This surpassed the previous September high of 103,559 passengers set in 2025.
The record was achieved despite a reduction in available airline capacity. Airlines offered approximately 124,000 departure seats during the month, a decrease of 5% compared to last September. With more passengers traveling on fewer available seats, the statewide average aircraft load factor, which measures the percentage of available seats occupied by passengers, increased from 79% in September 2025 to 84% in September 2026.
Four North Dakota airports also established individual September passenger boarding records: Bismarck, Fargo, Devils Lake, and Jamestown. These milestones contributed to the statewide record and reflect strong passenger demand across several North Dakota communities.
"These results are encouraging and reinforce the importance of supporting our airports as they work to maintain reliable airline service, attract additional capacity, and expand travel options for North Dakota communities,” said Kyle Wanner, Executive Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission.
Through the first nine months of 2026, North Dakota's commercial service airports recorded 973,044 passenger boardings, keeping the state on pace for its second-busiest year on record.
Additional Airport Information:
- Williston Basin International Airport: Delta Air Lines discontinued service on September 7, 2026, while Sun Country Airlines began seasonal service on September 10, 2026.
Individual Airport September Passenger Records:
- Bismarck Municipal Airport established a new September passenger record with 25,218 boardings, surpassing its previous September record of 23,891 set in 2019.
- Fargo Hector International Airport established a new September passenger record with 49,464 boardings, surpassing its previous September record of 46,258 set in 2025.
- Devils Lake Regional Airport established a new September passenger record with 818 boardings, surpassing its previous September record of 752 set in 2025.
- Jamestown Regional Airport established a new September passenger record with 1,255 boardings, surpassing its previous September record of 969 set in 2017.
September 2026 Statewide Airline Passenger Statistics
- Total Airline Passenger Boardings: 104,380
- Available Airline Departure Seats: 124,034
- Average Aircraft Load Factor: 84%
- Number of Successful Airline Departure Flights: 1,662
- Number of Airline Departure Flight Cancellations: 3
- Airline Departure Flight Cancellation Rate: 0.2%
September 2026 Airline Boarding Report
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