Airline Passenger Traffic Impacted by Federal Shutdown, State Remains on Pace for Record Year

Airline Passenger Traffic Impacted by Federal Shutdown, State Remains on Pace for Record Year

Posted 12/16/25 (Tue)

(Bismarck, ND) - The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) has released its monthly airline passenger report for the state's eight commercial service airports.

In November 2025, North Dakota airports recorded 101,211 passenger boardings, representing a 2 percent year-over-year decline compared to November 2024, or approximately 2,000 fewer travelers.

This decline ends eighteen consecutive months of record-breaking passenger growth statewide, while Fargo's nineteen-month streak of record passenger activity also came to an end-both largely due to impacts associated with the extended federal government shutdown. Despite this temporary interruption, North Dakota remains on pace to finish 2025 with its highest-ever annual passenger total.

Federal Shutdown Impacts:

The federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, had minimal impact on North Dakota airports during that month. However, in early November, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that 40 major hub airports nationwide would face temporary capacity reductions due to air traffic controller staffing shortages. These national airspace constraints resulted in increased delays and flight cancellations, with rural and connection-dependent airports, such as those in North Dakota, being particularly affected.

During the month of November, a total of 54 airline departures were canceled statewide and approximately 70 percent (38 flights) were directly linked to the federal government shutdown and associated FAA staffing constraints.

The shutdown concluded on November 12, after 43 days. Following its conclusion, the FAA began to reduce capacity constraints as staffing levels and airspace operations began a gradual recovery.

Based on year-over-year growth trends and seasonal expectations, November passenger activity was projected at roughly 105,000-107,000 boardings. The actual total of 101,211 indicates that suppressed demand, operational uncertainty, airline cancellations, and network effects from the shutdown collectively led to an estimated shortfall of 4,000-6,000 passengers for the month.

A detailed analysis of the impacts that the extended federal government shutdown had on North Dakota's commercial service airports is available below.

"While North Dakota's aviation system remained safe and fully operational throughout the shutdown, November's data clearly show how national airspace staffing challenges can quickly impact a rural state like ours," said Kyle Wanner, Executive Director of the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. "Despite these recent challenges, North Dakota remains on pace for its strongest year of passenger activity on record."

Individual Airport November Passenger Records:

• Jamestown Regional Airport set a new November record with 1,068 boardings, surpassing the previous high of 1,051 set in November 2017.
• Devils Lake Regional Airportreached a new November record with 975 boardings, exceeding the prior November record of 845 in 2024

November 2025 Statewide Airline Passenger Statistics

• Total Airline Passenger Boardings: 101,211
• Available Airline Departure Seats: 131,697
• Average Aircraft Load Factor: 77%
• Number of Successful Airline Departure Flights: 1,595
• Number of Airline Departure Flight Cancellations: 54
• Airline Departure Flight Cancellation Rate: 3.3%

Assessment of the Impacts of the 2025 Government Shutdown on North Dakota Commercial Service Airports

November 2025 Airline Boarding Report

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