The 2023 North Dakota Airport of the Year Awards have been announced, with the Devils Lake Regional Airport recognized as North Dakota’s “2023 Commercial Service Airport of the Year.” The Ashley Municipal Airport has been recognized as the “2023 General Aviation Airport of the Year.”
The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission in partnership with the Airport Association of North Dakota sponsors the annual awards.
Airports receive this award for excellence in community outreach, facility management, construction/beautification projects, and the participation and hosting of special events.
2023 Commercial Service Airport Award
The Devils Lake Regional Airport is proud of their involvement with the local community. The Airport has initiated a marketing program called Jet Service, which educates travelers on the benefits that the Devils Lake Regional Airport and SkyWest Airlines have to offer.
As a result, the Devils Lake Regional Airport has seen tremendous growth in passenger traffic throughout the past year. The airport reached a record total of 8,087 enplanements for calendar year 2023, which is a 17.5% increase from 2022. This growth is great news for the airport and could lead to increased infrastructure funding from the FAA, which in turn will help fuel continued growth and beautification of the airport.
The airport has also seen growth in the general aviation sector. Five aeronautical businesses are present on the airport, with a sixth planning to open soon. These businesses have added more employees and two new general aviation hangars have been constructed due to the demand for growth.
Devils Lake is currently in the process to expand and remodel their commercial terminal. The new building will double the size of the current space and will also include the installation of a jet bridge. The new space will allow the airport to accommodate larger waiting areas for passengers, new restrooms, vending areas, and nursing/changing rooms for mothers. The TSA area will also expand, allowing room for new screening technology which will decrease security wait times. The airport also recently reconstructed a large portion of the general aviation apron. This project repaired a variety of age-related issues affecting the pavements and has enhanced safety for the flying public.
2023 General Aviation Airport Award
In 2023, Ashley Municipal received a highly competitive Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grant from the FAA to construct a new terminal building. This terminal will be a public building and will provide pilots and passengers with restrooms and a convenient space to rest and prepare for flights. Ashley Municipal joined the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems in 2017, making them eligible for federal funding. Since then, Ashley has made significant improvements to the airport which includes rehabilitation of all airfield pavements and the installation of a new lighting system. This past year, Ashley also became the first airport in ND to install and join the FAA’s Weather Camera program. These four cameras are pointed in separate directions, and constantly update with new photos every few minutes, giving pilots an excellent live view of the current weather conditions at the airport.
Ashley Municipal also excelled over the past years in community outreach. The airport consistently works with the Ashley Medical Center and assists in coordinating flights for passengers to ensure both flights and ambulances work to make transportation as quick and efficient as possible. The airport is also currently developing instrument approach procedures, which guide and allow medical flights to land at the airport during inclement weather. The airport also regularly meets with city and county officials to educate & inform the public on the impacts and value that the airport brings to the Ashley area.
