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Hector International Airport
Rating Details »
6 reviews for Hector International Airport
This international airport used to be only two gates - one for United, one for Northwest (now Delta). One of the longest runways in the area, it can accommodate much larger aircraft (once the largest in the world, the Russian Antonov 225 stopped by!). The Fighting Falcons from the air force base also land at the airstrip here, although the FF themselves I believe have been retired.
It's expanded out to four gates (two for each), plus some other smaller carriers that pop in now and then like Allegiant.
Security is mildly slow, but given the lack of passengers that pass through here, the lines still move quickly enough.
Free wifi, a few TVs scattered, and glass viewports into the waiting area let family look through to see when the plane is coming.
A small area for breakfast foods, a souvenir shop, a long restaurant, and a bar/pool area outside of security for people to wait for their flights, but nothing to do inside once past security, so wait outside until your flight is called. For the most part, you can get through security and they'll hold the flight for you if it's going really slow.
Lots of friendly people, and during weekdays, staffed at the front with a welcome to Fargo volunteer.
Two luggage carousels, simple. Rental cars on-site. And plenty of parking, relatively cheap. Usually one taxi waiting outside after a flight, but most hotels also have a van they can send to pick you up.
One gripe... the parking lot is slippery in winter. They find it hard to shovel with all the people that park there. Careful!
There's a security guard that warns you not to park in the drive-up depositing (arrivals/departures are all basically the same area) area, and there's a model of the Wright Brother's plane in the ticketing concourse.
Hector has always been great for me. The people have been friendly and helpful and the lines have been short. What else can you ask for at an airport?
Allegiant Air flies out of here with direct flights to some pretty good spots (most recently added is LA), and other places are serviced by United and Delta (I believe).
while I want to write a bad review for being stuck in this tiny airport - I won't. Its supposedly 'expanded' lol.
One small restaurant before security, one small coffee shop through security.
It is attended by friendly people all over, and does have free Wifi, and some flat screen TVs....it could be a lot worse while I stare out the window at the flat, overcast landscape, praying there are no issues with my next flight, as it will be the night here and I will be forced to random acts of violence and mayhem. :)
Living in a city that has a far bigger airport, i found this one to be small. However small does not mean it's bad at all. The self check in was quick, annd the waiting area may be small but it was clean and the wait is never long. So here's to the airport yay!
Oh how I love thee
Empty security lines
Time to board the plane
(I LOVE Hector international airport. LOVE IT! I like to show up 35 minutes before my flight, park in their vast parking lot, and stroll leisurely to the NWA self-check-in kiosk. Because I'm SOOOO late to check in, and everyone else in ND is SOOOO early to check in, there is NEVER a line. I then slide onto the escalator, and walk through the empty security lines. In under 5 minutes I can make it from the seat of my car to my seat on the plane. Where else can you do that!?
The only downside: The TSA staff often act like they have a stick up their collective butts... If you have a 3.1 ounce bottle of shampoo instead of the legal 3.0 ounce bottle, they'll sniff it out and give you a stern tongue lashing. But hey... that's an acceptable price to pay. This place is HEAVENLY!)
Fargo is no London Heathrow (in fact, the duty-free shopping area of Heathrow's Terminal 3 is larger than the entire Fargo airport), but it is a modern facility that sets the stage for this growing, dare I say, metropolitan area. People are often wary of rural airports, and Hector is one that does not fit the rural mold. It is what a gateway airport should be -- a positive experience for travelers of all types that both looks forward and reflects the community it serves.
Almost three decades ago, the city of Fargo, North Dakota, took a chance and dared to gamble on the future. At the time, the three cities of Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead, MN, had a combined population of about 100,000 people. The local visionaries predicted that the area was destined to grow and as a result, the three cities and surrounding area would need a new airport to meet the future needs. The decision was made to build entirely new facility, rather than renovate or update the old terminal building. Twenty years and twice the population later, Fargo has a gateway airport that is perfect for an up-and-coming urban region, and shining example of how a "new" airport should be designed.
The terminal embodies what I personally value in a terminal airport: wide-open check-in area that doesn't suffer from overcrowding, an equally open and convenient baggage claim area, a reasonable security space appropriate for the size of the airport, and above all, a welcoming, crisp, and clean atmosphere. In addition, one has to appreciate the fact that the airport authority resisted the temptation to turn the unmistakably modern Hector into a rural community airport by tossing aside the architect's vision and making it "homey" and "country." The terminal has aged quite well.
On one of my trips through Fargo, I took the opportunity to study the terminal design and was struck by thought put into it. Unlike most community regional airports that are built on ground level with the notion that no large aircraft will ever land there, Hector has one upper-level concourse that consists of four modern urban-terminal gates separated by a common security access point. Each gate either has or can be fitted with a jetway, and there is more than ample seating around the gate area. In thinking about the design, it became apparent that the architects must have had expansion in mind because the concourse area is truly a hallway that can be extended at either end and in nearly any direction without upsetting the traffic flow of the check-in and baggage claim areas.
This raises the question: why would a city 30 years ago go to so much trouble to build such a large facility? I think much of the reasoning was based on vision that understood not only the future of the community, but the assets the airport had outside its door. First, Fargo has a very long runway that can accommodate 747s. The reason for the length is that the F-16s (and prior to that, F-4s) of the North Dakota Air National Guard are (or were?) stationed there, so the runway must be long to handle the military aircraft. Second, the airport is within landing distance of Minneapolis and has, at times, hosted diverted aircraft including transcontinental flights. Third, land was available. Like Denver, I believe they opted to take advantage of the open land around them and start over, spread out, and do what seemed right rather than trap themselves in. Finally, someone along the way decided to separate private aviation and cargo from commercial passenger needs, and by moving the passenger terminal rather than the other way around, private and cargo aviation would be unaffected, thus minimizing local commercial costs and improving passenger service at the same time.
All of the speculation aside, I have to recommend Fargo Hector to anyone who travels, and especially those who are tired of the "small airport" syndrome. Hector will restore one's faith that even in a smaller community, big ideas can happen, survive, and thrive.