Airports In North Dakota: A Comprehensive Guide

North Dakota is home to 16 airports, including 6 major airports. Minot International Airport is the largest terminal in the state, with air service provided by Delta, United, and Allegiant. Other major airports in North Dakota include Hector International Airport in Fargo and Bismarck Airport, which offers direct flights to seven destinations.

Grand Forks International Airport

North Dakota is home to 90 airports that are available for public use. Some of the important airports in the state include those at Williston, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Bowman, Bismarck, Jamestown, and Wahpeton.

One of the airports in North Dakota is the Grand Forks International Airport. This airport is the busiest of all the airports in the state. It is a civil-military public airport located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. The airport covers 1,618 acres and has four runways. The airport is also home to the John D. Odegard School Of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota, which is a world-renowned centre for aerospace learning.

The Grand Forks terminal offers international service and is a short drive for Winnipeggers looking for affordable airfare. Parking is inexpensive, and although the terminal is small with limited amenities, it is clean and well maintained. The staff are helpful, and there are comfortable places to wait during weather delays. The airport also has a restaurant and a gift shop, and it offers free wireless internet service and business work areas.

The airlines that fly from this airport include Northwest Airlines, Northwest Airlink, Mesaba Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines, Allegiant Air, United Express, and Delta Airlines. The airport offers direct flights to Las Vegas, Phoenix/Mesa, and Orlando, as well as multiple daily flights to Minneapolis/St. Paul, with connecting flights to the rest of the world.

Hector International Airport

There are 90 airports in North Dakota for public use. Among them is Hector International Airport, a civil-military public airport located three miles (5 km) northwest of Fargo in Cass County. The airport is named after Martin Hector, who first leased and then donated the original 50 acres of land to the city. Hector International Airport is the busiest airport in North Dakota, receiving almost 600,000 passengers every year. The airport has many amenities and services to make travelling easier for its customers, including a restaurant, a gift shop, a lounge, and a game room. It is also disabled-friendly, with escalators and wheelchair assistance available.

The current terminal was built in 1986 and has undergone several expansions and updates over the years. In 2008, a $15.5 million project updated the terminal, added a fifth gate, an additional baggage claim, and expanded the security checkpoint area. TSA PreCheck was added in 2014. The airport has airline partners that provide nonstop jet service to various cities, including Minneapolis/St. Paul and St. Pete-Clearwater. Hector International Airport plans to begin a large terminal expansion project in 2024, adding four new gates and a parking garage adjacent to the terminal. The project is expected to cost $124 million and will provide approximately 1,000 parking spaces.

As of 2022, there is no public transit service to Hector International Airport. The closest MATBUS bus stop is located over a mile away. However, the airport provides ground transportation options for travellers. The airport has a unique place in history, as it was the intended destination for the airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson, which crashed shortly after takeoff in 1959. Additionally, on October 1, 1948, the widely publicised Gorman dogfight, a UFO encounter, took place over the airport.

Minot International Airport

The original terminal, built in the early 1990s, was designed to accommodate approximately 100,000 passengers. However, due to the growth in passenger numbers, parking issues, and the potential for new airlines and destinations, a new terminal became a priority. The new terminal, which opened in February 2016, is four times the size of the old one, measuring 121,000 square feet (11,200 m2). It features expanded parking facilities, additional gates, space for car rental companies, additional restaurant space, and more check-in areas for future airlines.

The airport provides various amenities and services for passengers, including snack bars, gift shops, phones, and a conference room for business meetings. Avflight, the fixed-base operator at the airport, offers a 24-hour fuelling station, catering, customs, international garbage disposal, and rental car services. Additionally, the Minot Aero Center is a maintenance business at the airport that provides flight training, maintenance, and general aircraft services.

Sloulin International Airport

North Dakota is home to 90 airports for public use. Among them is the Sloulin International Airport, formerly known as the Sloulin Field International Airport. The airport served the city of Williston, North Dakota, and was located two miles north of downtown Williston. It was owned and operated by the city of Williston.

Sloulin Field International Airport was built in 1947 to replace an airport east of the city near Little Muddy Creek, which had become too small. However, as the city of Williston grew, the airport faced expansion constraints, design issues, and the need for runway refurbishment. At the height of the oil boom, the airport saw eleven flights per day, including nonstop service to Houston. Passenger enplanements increased from 27,860 in 2011 to a peak of 119,069 in 2014, a roughly 327% increase over three years.

In 2011, plans emerged to either renovate the airport or construct a new one due to the issues highlighted in the 2004 master plan and the increased air service to Williston amid the North Dakota oil boom. Ultimately, officials decided to build the Williston Basin International Airport due to cost considerations. Sloulin Field International Airport closed to the public on October 10, 2019, and has been decommissioned. The land is scheduled to be sold.

At the time of its closure, the airport offered daily passenger service to Minneapolis on Delta Connection and to Denver on United Express. The airlines serving the airport included Northwest Airlines, Allegiant Air, United Express, and Delta Airlines. Sloulin Field International Airport had two asphalt runways and a 9,600-square-foot terminal with a 1,500-square-foot mobile home trailer that provided extra seating capacity.

Airports in Williston, Devils Lake, Dickinson, Bowman, Bismarck, Jamestown, and Wahpeton

Airports in Williston, North Dakota

The closest airport to Williston, North Dakota is Williston Basin International Airport (XWA / KXWA), which is located 19 miles from the city centre. This airport offers domestic flights. Another major airport close to Williston is Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport (SDY / KSDY), which is located in Sidney, Montana, and is 50 miles from Williston. Sloulin Field International Airport (ISN / KISN) in Williston is defunct.

Airports in Devils Lake, North Dakota

Devils Lake Regional Airport (DVL) is located in Northeast North Dakota and offers daily United Airlines flights, operated by SkyWest Airlines, to Denver (DEN) and Jamestown (JMS).

Airports in Dickinson, North Dakota

Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (DIK / KDIK) is the closest airport to Dickinson, North Dakota. It is 134 miles from Williston and 54 miles from Bismarck.

Airports in Bowman, North Dakota

Bowman Municipal Airport (BWM / KBPP / BPP) is a public airport located two miles west of Bowman, North Dakota. It covers 160 acres of land and contains one runway.

Airports in Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck was formerly served by Northwest Airlines, which operated a route from Minneapolis to Bismarck, Fargo, Jamestown, and Crystal Shamrock. Air Wisconsin served Bismarck from 1979 to 1981, followed by Big Sky Airlines from 1981 to 1983. It is currently unclear which airlines serve Bismarck or where its closest airport is located.

Airports in Jamestown, North Dakota

Jamestown Regional Airport (JMS / KJMS / JMS) is located two miles northeast of Jamestown, North Dakota. It is used for general aviation and sees one airline, with flights twice each weekday and once on Saturdays and Sundays. United Express flies CRJ200s, operated by SkyWest Airlines, to Denver.

Airports in Wahpeton, North Dakota

The closest major airport to Wahpeton, North Dakota is Hector International Airport (FAR / KFAR) in Fargo, North Dakota, which is 60 miles from the centre of Wahpeton.

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