Facebook tracking pixel December 2018 Update from the Municipal Airport Authority - Hector International Airport

Please check parking lot capacity status to find available parking. Pre-book parking before your trip for a spot in your preferred lot.

December 2018 Update From The Municipal Airport Authority

Posted December 31, 2018

Busy December Rounds Out Year of Growth

Monthly passenger traffic at Hector International Airport throughout 2018 continually exceeded the previous year’s numbers, as reflected in the year-end totals. A total of 843,582 commercial passengers traveled to and from Hector in 2018 – an increase of 7.1 percent over 2017. An additional 5,925 charter passengers enplaned at Hector in 2018 through various charter operators.

The skies above the airport were as busy as the terminal area throughout the year. Hector recorded 7,027 air carrier landings and 4,605 air cargo landings in 2018.

December can often be challenging as winter weather tends to impact airports throughout the country during the busy holiday travel season, but Hector once again exceeded the previous year’s passenger counts. Nearly 72,000 passengers passed through Hector International Airport in December, an increase of 7.8 percent over December 2017. There were 566 air carrier departures, taking 36,422 people to destinations in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Orlando and Phoenix and beyond.


Record Passenger Traffic in November

Passenger enplanements in November totaled 35,683 – up 13.6 percent compared to November 2017. The total passenger count also increased by more than 13 percent compared to the previous year – a record 69,826 passengers traveled through Hector International Airport during the month of November.

Of the 589 air carrier departures in November, Delta Airlines, with service to Minneapolis, held the largest percentage of market share at 41 percent. American Airlines, with service to Chicago and Dallas, experienced the largest enplanement increase compared to the year prior and accounted for 18 percent of the total market share.


October Second Busiest on Record

Passenger traffic at Hector in October increased 10.3 percent compared the same month a year prior – resulting in the second busiest October ever at the airport. There were 597 air carrier departures in October, flying 35,847 people to destinations in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Phoenix, Minneapolis and beyond. October’s total passenger count (enplanements and deplanements) was 70,715.


Airport Events

Parking services provider SP+ launched seasonal shuttle bus service on Dec. 17. Complimentary shuttle service will be available daily from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. through March 31 for travelers utilizing the Long-term and Economy parking lots at Hector International. SP+ plans to provide the service again next winter, from Dec. 15, 2019 through March 31, 2020. The service is being provided at no cost to the Municipal Airport Authority or travelers.

Holiday travelers were treated to live music by the Fargo North High School Jazz Band on Dec. 18. The 15-member band performed for approximately 30 minutes. Hector welcomes continued opportunities to serve as a venue to highlight local arts and entertainment whenever possible.


Tenant Activities

UPS held a ribbon cutting on Nov. 5 to celebrate the start of 757 cargo jet service from Hector to UPS Worldport in Louisville, Ky. The event was held in UPS’ hangar facility at Hector and attended by UPS executives, local officials and members of the Municipal Airport Authority.

The addition of UPS flights to existing cargo flight activity by tenant FedEx resulted in record air cargo traffic at Hector in November. An all-time high of over 510 landings and nearly 30 million pounds of landed weight was recorded.

U.S. Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp toured Spectrum Aeromed’s facility on Nov. 30 while in Fargo to speak at the State of Technology event. Spectrum Aeromed is a locally owned and operated designer and manufacturer of air medical equipment for rotor and fixed-wing aircraft and is headquartered in a 17,000-square-foot facility at Hector.