The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) reports that the state’s eight commercial service airports recorded 108,460 airline passenger boardings during August 2026, a decrease of approximately 4% compared to August 2025.
Airlines provided a total of 129,976 available departure seats during the month, a decrease of 6% from the previous year. Despite the reduction in seating capacity, the statewide average aircraft load factor increased from 82% to 84%, indicating that a greater percentage of available airline seats were occupied.
Airline operational reliability remained strong throughout August, with 1,758 successful departures and only five flight cancellations statewide, representing a cancellation rate of just 0.3%.
Through the first eight months of 2026, North Dakota airports recorded 868,664 passenger boardings, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period in 2025. Despite the modest decline, year-to-date passenger boardings remain the second-highest on record for the state.
Additional Airport Information:
- Jamestown Regional Airport: The airport’s primary runway was closed for rehabilitation from August 14–30, resulting in the temporary suspension of scheduled commercial airline service during this period.
Individual Airport August Passenger Records:
- Fargo Hector International Airport established a new August passenger record with 53,392 boardings, surpassing its previous August record of 50,867 set in 2025.
- Devils Lake Regional Airport established a new August passenger record with 1,124 boardings, surpassing its previous August record of 946 set in 2025.
View the August Airline Boarding Report
August 2026 Statewide Airline Passenger Statistics
- Total Airline Passenger Boardings: 108,460
- Available Airline Departure Seats: 129,976
- Average Aircraft Load Factor: 84%
- Number of Successful Airline Departure Flights: 1,758
- Number of Airline Departure Flight Cancellations: 5
- Airline Departure Flight Cancellation Rate: 0.3%
