New Designs, Firemasters & More: News From Hector Airport

See the latest stories and updates from the third quarter operations at Fargo International Airport.

A Look Inside with Mead & Hunt Interior Designer Gena Mollica

Gena Mollica, with Mead & Hunt, is taking charge of the interior design for Hector's terminal expansion and remodel. Mollica brings several years of experience to the project, including residential, hospitality and federal government work. When thinking about balancing the budget, comfortability and durability of the proposed interior design, Mollica emphasizes the importance of listening to the client. She has undergone several listening sessions with Hector to create the perfect space. While gathering specific finishes and fabrics is a key aspect of her design, Mollica stresses the airport's overall needs, saying it is "a public facility where all walks of life and ages are going to be traveling through and enjoying the space."

The interior design highlights several new areas, including a sensory room, play area and pet relief area for service animals. The inspiration behind adding these features to the renovation was encouraged by Hector and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The remodel will also include a touch of local art from artists in conjunction with ArtWORKS at the Arts Partnership. Local artists will have a chance for their work to be displayed in a gallery and along the corridors. Mollica is excited to be able to showcase creativity in those areas but to also switch gears and design functional areas like baggage claim. Mollica says the main goal of the interior design is to create a "sense of place when travelers land in Fargo." Mollica hopes to capture Fargo's sense of community and uniqueness without stepping foot outside the terminal. When asked to describe the design in a few words, Mollica said, "comfortable, timeless and welcoming, as the design will be relevant in 10-15 years while still incorporating seating and activities for travelers from all walks of life." Mollica is looking forward to the project's completion and seeing passengers' reactions to her work.

Quarterly Spotlight: Airport Master Firefighters

Hector International Airport congratulates their newly certified Airport Master Firefighters (A.M.F.), including Firefighter Maxwell Gonshorowski, A.M.F.; Assistant Chief Kyle Ransom, A.M.F.; and Firefighter Arthur Punton, A.M.F.

The Airport Master Firefighter Program is a Professional Designation Program created by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Working Group (ARFFWG), collectively known as the ARFF Training Alliance. This is a self-study program structured to provide enhanced knowledge of ARFF operations as well as airport operations, administration and career ambitions of aircraft rescue firefighters, regardless of rank.

Prospective A.M.F. candidates must meet several requirements to be accepted into the program:

• Possession of three years documented experience as an airport firefighter (Candidates can substitute ARFF experience with four years of documented structural firefighting experience for every one year of ARFF experience sought, regardless of rank. All other prerequisites must be met to qualify)
• Completion of a basic airport rescue and firefighting training program
• Completion of National Incident Management System (NIMS) 100/200/700

Upon successful enrollment into the program, candidates have 12 months to prepare and pass a 150-question multiple-choice examination with a score of 70% or better. The exam covers multiple areas of airport rescue and firefighting, including Federal Aviation Regulation Part 139, Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circulars, as well as IFSTA 6th Edition: Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Essentials. Candidates who successfully complete the program will obtain thorough knowledge of ARFF and Airport Management/Administration, increase their promotional and career opportunities in the field of ARFF, earn the prestigious A.M.F. designation after their name and become a part of an elite group of ARFF professionals, and be recognized through AAAE and ARFFWG media-related announcements and releases.

The Hector International Airport Fire Department now has four of 10 members certified as Airport Master Firefighters, with plans to certify the rest within the next five to six years.

SP Plus Parking - Employee Spotlights

SP Plus Team, from left to right with years of service: Jay Hanson (10), Jim Einarson (10), Jason Halverson (14), Tad Holbrook (6), Aimee Schroeder (9), Elizabeth Schroeder (2). Not pictured - recently retired Richard Lesko (12).

SP Plus proudly serves as the parking operator for Hector International Airport. Led by Jay Hanson, the team recognizes their responsibility of being the first and last impression during the passenger experience at the airport. As a result, the team works diligently and is committed to promoting and fostering an exceptional parking experience. Whether this is through offering the convenience of an online reservation system, dynamic pricing, remote management services or delivering exceptional customer service, the SP+ team seeks opportunities to introduce convenience while removing the stress from travel. Having personnel with ten-plus years of experience, they are excited about the future of Hector International Airport and intend to leverage their institutional knowledge to continue "Making Moments Matter for a World on the Go." Executive Director, Shawn Dobberstein states, "The Municipal Airport Authority would like to recognize the efforts and dedication of the SP Plus staff. They have weathered a lot of changes as well as ups and downs with construction and equipment changes over the past few years but have remained faithful in doing their best to serve airport customers."

Hector International Airport would like to thank the SP Plus team for their dedication and hard work.

Hector Shares Terminal Expansion Plans with Senator John Hoeven

Senator John Hoeven visited the airport in early October to get an update on the terminal expansion project. Strong relationships with legislators are key to securing federal funding for a variety of projects at the airport. Federal funding will be a major component of the terminal expansion project budget and Senator Hoeven will be instrumental in helping to secure funding.

"The Fargo-Moorhead region is rapidly growing, both in terms of population and in economic activity," said Senator Hoeven. "That means greater demand for air service and the need for updates and added facilities at Hector International. We appreciate the airport authority for advancing this expansion plan to ensure safe and efficient travel for the region's residents, and we will work wherever possible to secure the needed federal support and help the developers meet their timelines, as we have done for previous efforts in Fargo and communities across the state."

Quarter Three ArtWORKS Installation: Kayla Due

The latest ArtWORKS installation is by artist Kayla Due. The exhibition features a sequence of wildlife and domestic animal painted portraits. Just as many of us are fascinated by the unique beauty of the world's creatures and our connections to them, artist Kayla Due is no different. A wildlife and domestic animal portrait artist, she strives to capture the unique qualities of the creatures she paints while also exploring how others connect to them. Due experiments with facial expressions, color, mark-making and composition to portray each subject's characteristics. Due received her MFA in visual arts from the University of North Dakota and her BFA from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She has participated in a number of solo and group exhibitions in the region.

Due's original artwork is displayed above the baggage claim area to help welcome all travelers and locals alike. The program is in its fifth year and places art in the public realm. Original artwork is available for sale by participating artists.

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

ArtWORKS Holiday Musical Performances

The ArtWORKS program at Hector International Airport will also be hosting four weekly musical performances by local artists starting the week after Thanksgiving. Performances will begin at noon and last about 25 minutes. All performances will take place in the café and are open to the public to attend and enjoy.

For more information visit: https://www.fargoairport.com/at-the-airport/artworks/

Renewing Your Passport

Passport processing times for U.S. passports are going down. Now's the time to either renew or apply for your passport. The State Department currently estimates processing times for routine applications are around eight to 11 weeks for routine service and five to seven weeks for expedited. Those numbers are down from the department's estimated 10 to 13 weeks for routine and seven to nine weeks for expedited that occurred months ago, when a post-pandemic rush of travelers caused applications to surge by 30% to 40% compared to the year before. These reduced wait times do not include mailing time, which can typically take two weeks. The State Department recommends not traveling with a passport if its expiration date is within six months of your date of return to the United States.

Learn more and stay up to date: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html

Expansion Updates

Construction of the terminal expansion is planned to begin May 2024 and will take approximately three years to complete. It's no secret parking is one of the main concerns for travelers, especially during harsh North Dakota winters. It's important to understand the terminal expansion project is focused on the terminal building itself and areas on the airside of the building where planes arrive and depart. The Airport Authority has hired T. L. Stroh Architects to design a parking structure. McGough Construction and T. F. Powers have been hired as construction managers for the project. The preliminary plan is for a 4-story parking structure with approximately 1,000 spaces. Construction could begin in 2024 as well.

For more details and updated renderings, visit: https://www.fargoairport.com/airport-authority/terminal-expansion/

Terminal Tidbits

TSA PreCheck® Enrollment Events

In August and October of this year, Hector hosted two separate TSA PreCheck® enrollment events. The events were wildly successful, serving over 700 travelers who either renewed or newly enrolled in the program. A special thank you to Darlene Jose, the local administrator for these events, for her hard work and dedication!

Girls in Aviation Event

In September, the Women in Aviation (WAI) Northern Planes chapter hosted their first Girls in Aviationevent with the Fargo Air Museum. Over 115 kids attended this event and were able to explore the exciting world of aviation in Fargo and beyond.

Landline Expansion

The Landline Company is expanding and adding a pickup spot at the University of North Dakota. Passengers traveling from Grand Forks will be able to connect to flights at Hector International Airport or continue to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for their flying adventures. For more details or to book your next trip, visit https://landline.com/grand-forks.

Share Your Ideas

What airport topics would you like to learn about in our next newsletter? Let us know: https://www.fargoairport.com/newsletterfeedback/

Q3 Boarding Statistics

July 2023

July passenger numbers set yet another record! Hector International Airport's airline passenger traffic in July showed an increase when compared to the same month in 2022. In July 2023, the passenger enplanements were 44,902. This is an increase of 13% when compared to the July 2022 passenger enplanements of 39,734. The previous record was set in 2019 with 43,437 enplaned passengers. This is the sixth monthly enplanement record in the past seven months.

United Airlines also set an all-time monthly enplanement record of 11,661 passengers. The previous record was set in May 2023 and then July 2019 prior to that.

The total passenger count for the month was 89,022, which is up 13% over the same period last year.

There were 513 air carrier departures with an average of 98 seats per flight in July and an average of 2,872 total daily passengers.

August 2023

Another month, another record. August's airline passenger traffic set a record and showed an increase when compared to the same month in 2022. In August 2023, the passenger enplanements were 43,871. This is an increase of 13% when compared to the August 2022 passenger enplanements of 38,683. The previous record was set in 2019 with 39,083 enplaned passengers. This is the seventh enplanement record in the past eight months.

United Airlines also set another all-time monthly enplanement record of 11,799 passengers. The previous record was set in July 2023.

The total passenger count for the month was 87,700, which is up 13% over the same period last year.

There were 524 air carrier departures with an average of 98 seats per flight in August and an average of 2,829 total daily passengers.

September 2023

Let's make it three in a row! September's airline passenger traffic showed an increase when compared to the same month in 2022. In September 2023, the passenger enplanements were 41,452. This is an increase of 17% when compared to the September 2022 passenger enplanements of 35,213. The previous record September was set in 2022. This is the eighth enplanement record in the past nine months.

The total passenger count for the month was 81,953, which is up 17% over the same period last year.

There were 488 air carrier departures with an average of 98 seats per flight in September and an average of 2,732 total daily passengers.

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