The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission (NDAC) recently kicked off an important initiative to update the North Dakota Aviation System Plan (NDSASP) and the Aviation Economic Impact Study (AEIS). These studies are used by NDAC as a guide for future decision making and to document the economic contributions of each individual airport and the combined economic impact of the state’s 89 public-use airports.

Since the study began in September 2024, the Project Team has made significant progress. To introduce the study, the Project Team traveled to Fargo and presented on the 2025 NDSASP and NDAEIS at the Fly-ND Conference. This presentation provided an opportunity to share the study’s purpose, goals and, progress while encouraging feedback and engagement from aviation professionals throughout North Dakota.

With the study well underway, Chapter 1. Introduction and Chapter 2. Study Framework have been drafted and are now available for public review on the study website. These chapters lay the foundation for the 2025 NDSASP by outlining the purpose of the study, establishing the study’s goals and defining the performance metrics. Prior to being finalized, both chapters were reviewed by the study’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for their review and feedback. The TAC is made up of industry professionals from a variety of backgrounds who are given opportunities to offer their perspectives and insight throughout the lifespan of the study.

With the study’s goals and metrics defined, the Project Team conducted a comprehensive data collection effort. This included in-person visits to all commercial service airports in the state, along with 81 virtual site visits (phone calls) with general aviation airports. These visits helped gather detailed information on airport facilities, services, activity levels, employment, and more. The data collected during these visits will be used throughout the NDSASP and NDAEIS process, such as to assess system performance and estimate economic impact. The Project Team continues to reach out to on-airport business tenants to collect data on jobs and capital investments—critical inputs for evaluating the economic impact of aviation across the state. The data associated with the PMs and PIs of the study will be compiled into Chapter 4. Inventory and posted to the study’s website once completed.

In addition to the activities listed above, the Project Team has also drafted Chapter 3. Airport Classifications, which is currently under review by the TAC and most recently, the Project Team kicked off the Aviation Activity Forecasts effort. The results of the Activity Forecast will be presented in Chapter 5. Activity Forecast. All chapters will be posted to the study’s website’s NDASASP Draft Deliverables page.

As the study continues to move forward, NDAC invites the public and aviation stakeholders to stay engaged. Please consider subscribing to the study website to receive updates on the study, such as when blogs, presentations, and deliverables are posted. Click on the Project Updates page of the study’s website to subscribe and share your feedback via the Public Engagement page.