Air travel saw an increase last year at many airports according to the Transportation Security Administration. Minot International Airport is one of those that recorded a large increase in traffic.
MOT recorded a 47 percent increase in passengers compared to 2020.
The summer months were the most popular as those months saw an increase of up to 800 percent over the prior year.
A fair amount of passengers also took to the skies during the year-ending holiday periods.
Overall in 2021, nearly 260,000 travelers used the Minot International Airport. That was 80,000 more than flew in 2020.
“Our numbers were looking really good, strong for the end of the year and then we got hit by the omicron virus but if things start to return to normal I think our numbers will start growing and we’ll see an increased number of travelers,” Airport Director Jennifer Eckman said.
Despite an improvement in traveler numbers in 2021 the passenger count still fell short of pre-pandemic levels.