ND Aeronautics Commission awards nearly $82 million to state’s public airports

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission approved nearly $82 million in grant funding for the state’s public airports.

N.D. Aeronautics Commission Executive Director Kyle Wanner said the funding will be especially helpful, since the state’s airports have seen a record number of air passengers over the past year.

Wanner said there will be new additions to some of North Dakota’s airports — just like highways, runways and facilities need to be maintained — and that also takes money. Sixty-one of the state’s 89 public airports will receive a portion of that grant to fund 182 projects. The grants follow a record-breaking increase in the number of air passengers traveling in North Dakota.

“2024 was the best year on record, and now we’re six months into 2025, and we’re trending toward 2025 actually being another record-breaking year. So, the timing of these infrastructure grants is exceptional for our state,” Wanner said.

Some of those projects include installing new equipment and utilities at the Williston and Minot airports. The grant funding will also go toward a new terminal in Dickinson and the reconstruction of the taxiway at Bismarck’s airport. Fargo is also working on expanding its terminal and installing a new parking garage. Eight airports will also receive weather cameras as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s weather monitoring program.

“We’re hopeful to have 15-16 sites up and running on the FFA website. So, as the program grows, it’s going to continually benefit our pilots who are able to look, again, in real-time and see actual video feed updates every five minutes of what’s actually happening at certain airports,” Wanner said.

He said that it will also give pilots weather data along with a visual. Eight North Dakota airports already have that tech.

You can watch those live feeds on the FAA’s website.