Submitted Graphic A map shows the airline routes of North Dakota airports in 2016. Source: North Dakota Aeronautics Commission.

Commercial air passenger numbers were down 17 percent in Minot during 2016, according to year-end numbers from the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission.

Statewide, commercial airports saw boardings of nearly 1.05 million, reflecting a drop of 11 percent from 2015. Airports also saw 1.05 million passengers fly in, for a total of 2.1 million passengers coming and going over the past year. The state currently averages 70 airline flight departures per day with 4,100 available seats, the aeronautics commission reports.

Minot recorded 151,745 boardings in 2016, down from 182,872 in 2015. Boardings had been down 18 percent in 2015 from the previous year.

Rick Feltner, Minot airport director, said boarding numbers appear to be leveling off. He added that although boardings were down last year, the load factor, or plane occupancy, has been strong. In November, planes were flying more than 80 percent full from Minot.

“What that means is the airlines have kind of figured out the right size of aircraft, the right frequency to fly in here, to keep the planes full,” Feltner said. “From a business standpoint, all three of the carriers that we have fly in here should be very pleased with the type of numbers they are putting on board.”

Currently, Delta is flying five flights a day and United has two. Allegiant has four or five flights a week, and Feltner said the airline plans to increase frequency this spring.

“We are positioning ourselves for the future,” Feltner said of the airport. “We have the ability to handle more business here, and I want to see more business here.”

The airport continues to work to encourage additional airlines to consider Minot, he said.

“In the meantime, we are running a good operation and we have a great relationship with the airlines that are operating here,” he said.

Minot’s 2016 boardings come close to 2011 passenger numbers of 150,450, which reflected more than double the annual boardings being recorded before 2010. Minot boardings peaked at 224,421 in 2012.

During December, Minot’s boarding numbers were down 20.4 percent from the previous year. Statewide, boardings were down everywhere but Fargo, leading to a 5.54 percent decline statewide for the month.

For the year ending in December, only Bismarck, with a 4.35 percent increase, showed growth among the six commercial airports. Dickinson led the decline with 59.86 percent, followed by Williston at 36.4 percent. Fargo was down 7.84 percent and Grand Forks 9.67 percent.

Regional airports at Devils Lake and Jamestown saw increases of 32 and 39 percent, respectively. Those airports accounted for just 17,413 passengers in 2016.

Statewide, airline passenger boardings set a record in 2014 when more than 1.2 million passengers flew on commercial flights originating in North Dakota.

“Over the last two years, the state’s airline boardings were affected by the difficult challenges that the oil and agricultural industries in the state have been facing,” Kyle Wanner, executive director of the aeronautics commission said in a prepared statement. “Low oil prices, low commodity prices for farmers and the low value of the Canadian dollar have all factored into reasons as to why the state’s airline passenger numbers decreased for a second straight year.

“The current year-over-year decline in passenger numbers does not diminish the fact that our long-term statewide airline passenger growth has been tremendous, especially once you consider the fact that passenger numbers are still 60 percent higher than they were 10 years ago in 2007,” he added. “I am expecting 2017 to bring a leveling off of passenger numbers and am hopeful to once again see steady growth to pick up once North Dakota’s energy and agricultural sectors begin their recovery.”