North Dakota Airports Post Second Busiest January on Record

North Dakota Airports Post Second Busiest January on Record

Posted 3/02/26 (Mon)

(Bismarck, ND) - 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.

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%

January 2026 Airline Boarding Report

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