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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota Aeronautics Commission has released the final numbers for boardings for the state’s 8 major airports.

The commission reports that the state’s commercial service airports finished 2016 with a statewide total of 1,049,457 passenger boardings, an 11% decrease from 2015’s total of 1,176,043.

‘The eight commercial service airports in the state currently provide incredible value and opportunities to each community and the current low price of oil has also helped to reduce the overall cost of airline tickets to the flying public,” the commission states in a release.

Bismarck, Jamestown, and Devils Lake were the three airports in the state to have record breaking passenger numbers for 2016. Minot, Dickinson and Williston saw the largest decline, which the commission attributes to the decline in workforce in the Western oil fields.

“Statewide airline passenger boardings have now declined for a second straight year following the record setting year of 2014 where over 1.2 million passengers flew in North Dakota.”

Jamestown’s final totals in 2016 were 11,123 passengers, compared to 7,996 boardings in 2015. The airport can now expect to receive more funding for future projects and expansion after eclipsing the 10,000 passenger mark. Click here to read more about that.