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BISMARCK - The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission reports the state's eight commercial service airports recorded 108,460 airline passenger boardings during August 2026, a decrease of about 4% compared to August 2025.
Minot International Airport recorded 14,498 boardings in August, down 6%.
Airlines provided 129,976 available departure seats during the month, a decrease of 6% from the previous year. With the reduction in seating capacity, the statewide average aircraft load factor increased from 82% to 84%, indicating that a greater percentage of available airline seats were occupied.
According to the commission, airline operational reliability remained strong throughout August, with 1,758 successful departures and only five flight cancellations statewide, representing a cancellation rate of just 0.3%.
Through the first eight months of 2026, North Dakota airports recorded 868,664 passenger boardings, a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same period in 2025. Despite the modest decline, year-to-date passenger boardings remain the second-highest on record for the state.
Minot's year-to-date boardings through August total 107,985, a decline of 10.85% from the same period a year ago. This year's boardings to date are the fourth highest during the current decade.
Fargo Hector International Airport and Devils Lake Regional Airport both established new August passenger records. Fargo saw 53,392 boardings in August, surpassing its previous August record of 50,867, set in 2025. Devils Lake saw 1,124 boardings, surpassing its previous August record of 946, set in 2025.