North Dakota Sees Record Airline Boardings in May

The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) has released the monthly report that provides information relating to the airline passenger traffic at the eight commercial service airports within the state.

North Dakota airports had their busiest May on record as airline passenger boarding numbers reached 103,068 passengers for the month. The previous record for the month of May was set during the 2014 oil boom with 100,389 passengers.

This current month also represents a growth of 11,614 boardings or a 13% increase from May of 2023.

Kyle Wanner, Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, stated, “The demand for air travel remains strong across the state and we are excited to begin surpassing passenger numbers not seen since the oil boom days. Increased passenger traffic will continue to help bolster North Dakota’s airports and their efforts to secure additional air service opportunities.”

New Route Information:

The Bismarck Airport added a new flight with Allegiant Airlines to St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport beginning May 15th. The new service is flown twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday, with an Airbus A320, a 180-seat aircraft.

Jamestown Airport Construction Impacts:

The Jamestown Regional Airport’s primary runway had a pre-planned closure from May 7th – June 13th in order to complete a major pavement rehabilitation. Commercial service flights did not occur during this time period and the May’s boarding numbers reflect the impacts by this closure. Air service at the Jamestown airport will resume on Friday, June 14th.

May Passenger Records:

The Fargo Hector International Airport achieved a new monthly passenger record with 44,547 passenger boardings. The previous record for the airport for the month of May was set in 2023 with 40,969 passengers.

The Devils Lake Airport also achieved a new monthly passenger record with 947 passenger boardings. The previous record for the airport for the month of May was set in 2023 with 657 passengers.

View the May Airline Boarding Report

May 2024 Statewide Airline Passenger Statistics

  • Total Airline Passenger Boardings: 103,068
  • Available Airline Departure Seats: 128,907
  • Average Aircraft Load Factor: 80%
  • Number of Successful Airline Departure Flights: 1,516
  • Number of Airline Departure Flight Cancellations: 9
  • Airline Departure Flight Cancellation Rate: 0.6%

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.