Municipal Airport Authority and The City of Fargo sign new agreement

Fargo city officials and the Municipal Airport Authority have reached a milestone that has been a long time in the making.

On January 3rd, 2022, the two organizations officially signed a new Memorandum of Understanding which recognizes a separation of the city and the airport, changing the previous 50-year agreement between the City and the Airport Authority. For details, view press release.

Quarterly Spotlight: Steve Franek, SkyDine Restaurant and Bar

SkyDine, located inside of Hector Airport, offers dining options where travelers can relax, enjoy a meal and beverage before or after their flight. The Airport’s food service provider has received a perfect 100% health inspection rating for the past three years. Foodservice inspections are designed to ensure all guests are served 100% safe consumable products prepared under the State guidelines for temperature, product quality, and sanitation. District Manager, Steve Franek says, “This is why a high score on a health department inspection is so important as it ensures all products are 100% safe for human consumption 100%of the time with absolutely no exceptions.”

Franek has been employed by Hungry’s Restaurants Inc. for nine years. He served as General Manager for 4 years and District Manager for 5 years. Prior to his employment with Hungry’s, he was an executive chef and restaurant manager for 39 years. “This experience has taught me a lot about food safety and sanitation, and I teach my employees all I have learned over the years. Personally, I strive to develop a great relationship with the health inspectors as in my opinion they are another set of eyes and are there to help ensure you have a successful food service operation” shares Franek.

Franek has noticed the travel numbers have increased to near pre-covid numbers and expects them to completely rebound in the near future.

Kim Bromley ArtWORKS exhibit Installed at Airport

The Arts Partnership installed a new series of art at Hector International Airport. The ArtWORKS program, dedicated to placing art in the public realm, is in its fourth year at Hector International Airport.

The exhibition, titled “Moby Dick – In the Heart of the Sea,” features paintings by artist Kimble Bromley. The paintings tell the true story of a whale sinking a whaling ship – the story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.  With bold blue backgrounds and simplified lines, Bromley captures the essence of the true story of a whale that sinks whaling ship. The simplicity of the paintings allows the viewer’s imagination to soar.

Bromley’s work has been exhibited internationally. Currently a professor of art at North Dakota State University, he has served as a visiting artist throughout the upper Midwest, Ecuador and Mexico. In 2021, Bromley was awarded the NDSU College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Creativity Award, as well as two grants from the Lake Region Arts Council. He received his M.F.A. from Southern Illinois at Carbondale.

For additional information or to purchase the art, visit https://www.kimblebromley.com/

ArtWORKS Holiday musical performances

The ArtWORKS program at Hector International Airport hosted musical performances by local artists during the holiday season. Performances ran weekly over the lunch hour in the month of December.

The performances included:

• Kwaician Traylor
• Winds Flute Quartet
• Sarah Morrau
• Jake Ingamar

For more information visit: https://theartspartnership.net/

Parking Kiosks Installed at Fargo Airport

Hector International Airport installed a new parking kiosk from FlashParking. The updated parking system will help travelers create a parking experience that feels intuitive to today’s tech-savvy consumer with touchless, mobile-enabled options.

This equipment allows visitors to pay for parking before getting back in their vehicles and conveniently exit the facilities. There is a convenient “pay on foot” machine for customers to pay for their airport parking fees located inside the terminal baggage claim area. To use the machine, simply insert your parking stub, pay with cash or card, and take your receipt with you when you return to your vehicle.

Q4 Boarding Statistics

Hector International Airport travel numbers are continuing to increase. Passenger numbers are exceeding our expectations.

October 2021
Hector International Airport’s airline passenger traffic in October showed an increase when compared to the same month in 2020.  In October 2021, the passenger enplanements were 38,873.  This is an increase of 98% when compared to the October 2020 passenger enplanements of 19,591. This was the 2nd busiest October on record.

The total passenger count for the month was 75,548, which is up 99% over the same period last year. There were 532 air carrier departures with an average of 88 seats per flight in October and an average of 2,437 total daily passengers.

The total passenger count for the month was 85,358, which is up 165% over the same period last year. There were 610 air carrier departures with an average of 84 seats per flight in July and an average of 2,753 total daily passengers.

November 2021
Hector International Airport’s airline passenger traffic in November was the busiest ever November on record, showing an increase when compared to the same month in 2020.  In November 2021, the passenger enplanements were 37,911. This is an increase of 113% when compared to the November 2020 passenger enplanements of 17,766. This is the first record month since the pandemic impacted air travel in early 2020.

The total passenger count for the month was 75,050, which is up 118% over the same period last year. There were 551 air carrier departures with an average of 85 seats per flight in November and an average of 2,502 total daily passengers.

December 2021
Hector International Airport’s airline passenger traffic in December showed an increase when compared to the same month in 2020.  In December 2021, the passenger enplanements were 39,913.  This is an increase of 101% when compared to the December 2020 passenger enplanements of 19,820.

The total passenger count for the month was 77,646, which is up 100% over the same period last year.

There were 510 air carrier departures with an average of 90 seats per flight in December and an average of 2,505 total daily passengers.

Year end Summary 2021

Airline passenger traffic in 2021 at Hector International Airport showed an increase as compared to 2020.  In 2021, the total passenger enplanements were 399,172.

This is an increase of 67% when compared to the 2020 passenger enplanements of 238,508.
The total passenger count for the year was 796,675, which is up 66% over 2020 which had 478,604 total passengers.

Hector Airport had 6,395 air carrier landings in 2021.

Air Cargo 2021 Summary

In 2021, 6,243 air cargo aircraft landed with a total landed weight of 420,767,732 pounds.  This compares to 2020 of 6,185 air cargo aircraft landed with a total landed weight of 420,270,416 pounds.  2021 had a 0.1% increase over the previous record year.