Hector International Airport
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Hector International Airport Template:Airport codes is a civil-military public airport three miles (5 km) northwest of Fargo, in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. The busiest airport in North Dakota, it is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.<ref name=FAA>Template:FAA-airport, effective December 26, 2024</ref> Fargo Air National Guard Base is located adjacent to the airport.
The airport was named after Martin Hector, who first leased, and then donated the original 50 acres of land to the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Customs service is available for arrivals from Canada and other countries. Hector International has no scheduled passenger airline flights out of the country but has its international title (like many other airports) because of this customs service.
The airport is home to Fargo Air National Guard Base and the Happy Hooligans of the 119th Wing (119 WG), a unit of the North Dakota Air National Guard that operates the MQ-9 Reaper.
The airport was the intended destination for the airplane carrying Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson on February 3, 1959. The airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Mason City, Iowa, killing the three musicians and the pilot.
Facilities and aircraft
Hector International Airport covers Template:Convert and has three runways: 18/36 is 9,001 x 150 ft (2,744 x 46 m), 9/27 is 6,302 x 100 ft (1,921 x 30 m), and 13/31 is 3,801 x 75 ft (1,159 x 46 m).<ref name=FAA /><ref>Template:Cite web FAA data effective December 26, 2024.</ref> Hector International has the longest public runway in North Dakota and can receive Boeing 747s.
For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 92,980 aircraft operations, an average of 255 per day. In December 2021, there were 203 aircraft based at the airport: 124 single-engine, 52 multi-engine, 22 jet, and 5 helicopters.<ref name=FAA />
The current terminal was built in 1986 and designed by Foss Associates with Thompson Consultants.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 2008 the airport completed the passenger terminal expansion and update that had begun in October 2006. The $15.5 million project designed by TL Stroh Architects updated the terminal and added a fifth gate, an additional baggage claim and expanded the security checkpoint area. TSA PreCheck was added in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A large terminal expansion project began in 2024. The $156 million project will add four new gates on the east side of the existing building, bringing the terminal's total number of gates to nine, as well as renovate existing portions of the terminal.<ref name="VNL Hector Construction Update">Template:Cite news</ref> The project will also increase seating, add new post-security concession areas, and expand the facility's security checkpoint.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The new gates are expected to open in 2026 with full project completion slated for 2027.<ref name="VNL Hector Construction Update" />
A four-story, 1,000 space parking garage opened in August 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The $47 million facility features a skyway connecting the garage to the terminal building, which is expected to open in 2026.<ref name="VNL Hector Construction Update" />
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
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Cargo
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Statistics
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN | 175,460 | Delta |
| 2 | Chicago–O'Hare, IL | 109,870 | American, United |
| 3 | Denver, CO | 109,070 | Frontier, United |
| 4 | Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | 72,130 | American |
| 5 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | 59,070 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Las Vegas, NV | 18,580 | Allegiant |
| 7 | Nashville, TN | 14,600 | Allegiant |
| 8 | Orlando–Sanford, FL | 11,210 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Phoenix–Sky Harbor, AZ | 9,340 | American |
| 10 | St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL | 8,790 | Allegiant |
Annual traffic
| Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 406,912 | 2007 | 599,168 | 2017 | 787,927 |
| 1998 | 384,205 | 2008 | 648,137 | 2018 | 843,582 |
| 1999 | 445,744 | 2009 | 697,810 | 2019 | 930,409 |
| 2000 | 465,636 | 2010 | 724,941 | 2020 | 478,604 |
| 2001 | 434,332 | 2011 | 699,549 | 2021 | 796,675 |
| 2002 | 484,068 | 2012 | 728,799 | 2022 | 908,075 |
| 2003 | 508,534 | 2013 | 797,125 | 2023 | 1,032,497 |
| 2004 | 506,650 | 2014 | 894,426 | 2024 | 1,092,836 |
| 2005 | 549,209 | 2015 | 858,982 | ||
| 2006 | 609,731 | 2016 | 789,182 |
Commercial airline market share
| Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkyWest Airlines | 310,000 | 27.02% |
| 2 | Envoy Air | 238,000 | 20.69% |
| 3 | Allegiant Airlines | 224,000 | 19.51% |
| 4 | Delta Air Lines | 205,000 | 17.84% |
| 5 | Frontier Airlines | 71,760 | 6.25% |
| Other Airlines | 99,960 | 8.70% |
Ground transportation
As of 2022, there is no public transit service to Hector International Airport. The closest MATBUS bus stop is located over a mile away.
Climate
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UFO encounter
On October 1, 1948, the Gorman dogfight, a widely publicized UFO encounter, took place over Hector International Airport.<ref name="ruppelt30">Ruppelt, p. 30</ref>