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BISMARCK - North Dakota's eight commercial service airports established a new September boarding record with 104,380 passengers, the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission reported. This surpassed the previous September high of 103,559 passengers set in 2025.
The record was achieved despite a reduction in available airline capacity, according to the commission. Airlines offered about 124,000 departure seats during the month, a decrease of 5% compared to last September. With more passengers traveling on fewer available seats, the statewide average aircraft load factor, which measures the percentage of available seats occupied by passengers, increased from 79% in September 2025 to 84% in September 2026.
Four North Dakota airports also established individual September passenger boarding records: Bismarck, Fargo, Devils Lake and Jamestown.
“These results are encouraging and reinforce the importance of supporting our airports as they work to maintain reliable airline service, attract additional capacity and expand travel options for North Dakota communities," said Kyle Wanner, executive director of the aeronautics commission.
Minot's September boardings saw minimal change. The 13,685 boardings was down just 0.47%.
Williston's boardings of 6,362 were down 34.95%. Delta Air Lines discontinued service to Williston on Sept. 7, while Sun Country Airlines began seasonal service on Sept. 10.
Through the first nine months of 2026, North Dakota’s commercial service airports recorded 973,044 passenger boardings, keeping the state on pace for its second-busiest year on record. Minot's boardings of 121,670 through September this year reflects a 9.79% decline from the same period in 2025.