North Dakota Airports Post Second Busiest January on Record

The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) has released its January 2026 airline passenger data for the state’s eight commercial service airports.

North Dakota’s commercial service airports recorded 103,350 passenger boardings in January 2026, a 2 percent decrease compared to the record setting January 2025. Even with the slight year-over-year decline, January 2026 ranks as the second busiest January in state history.

Airlines provided 137,321 departure seats statewide in January 2026, a 2 percent increase over the prior year. The increase in available seat capacity reflects continued airline confidence in North Dakota’s markets, with carriers maintaining and modestly expanding winter service levels.

Individual Airport – January Passenger Records:

  • The Fargo Hector International Airport achieved a new monthly passenger record with 49,186 passenger boardings. The previous record for the airport for the month of January was set in 2025 with 48,037 passengers.
  • The Devils Lake Regional Airport established a new January passenger record with 704 boardings, surpassing its previous January record of 644 set in 2025.

View the January Airline Boarding Report

January 2026 Statewide Airline Passenger Statistics

  • Total Airline Passenger Boardings: 103,350
  • Available Airline Departure Seats: 137,321
  • Average Aircraft Load Factor: 75%
  • Number of Successful Airline Departure Flights: 1,636
  • Number of Airline Departure Flight Cancellations: 39
  • Airline Departure Flight Cancellation Rate: 2.3%

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.