BOZEMAN,
MT (January 11, 2021). The COVID-19 global
pandemic had a dramatic negative effect on passenger traffic at Bozeman
Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) during 2020 with the airport handling 889,775
passengers. This was a decrease of
684,085 passengers (-43.5%) compared to 2019 record passenger traffic. On a national basis, the Transportation Security
Administration reported a 60.7% decline in passenger throughput across 440 U.S.
airports. “While the impact on passenger traffic was significant at BZN, we are
pleased to see traffic recovery has outpaced the nation as a whole and what this
improvement means for the local economy.
We continue to work with our airline partners in minimizing potential
transmission and are looking forward to a successful vaccination program to
return traffic to more traditional levels,” said Brian Sprenger, Airport
Director.
Despite
COVID-19, during 2020, the airport added an eighth airline, Sun Country with
new seasonal service to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP). Additionally, Alaska added
daily service to Los Angeles (LAX) and Allegiant added non-stop service to Nashville
(BNA). Also, JetBlue added new seasonal
service to Boston (BOS), New York (JFK) and Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and relocated
their Long Beach service to Los Angeles (LAX).
Finally, American added seasonal service to Charlotte, NC (CLT). In 2021, several planned but delayed 2020
service improvements will be added with Alaska Airlines up-gauging one daily
non-stop to Seattle/Tacoma with mainline A320 aircraft in February and American
launching summer Saturday service to both Philadelphia (PHL) and New York’s
LaGuardia airport (LGA).
The
Air Traffic Control Tower handled an all-time record 104,091 aircraft
operations during the year, up 6.4%. Business
aviation operations increased 1.1% to 12,000.
General aviation accounts for 72% of aircraft operations, scheduled
passenger and cargo airline service accounts for approximately 16% with business
aviation accounting for the remaining 12%. There were 98 general aviation
international arrivals handled at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office
at BZN during the year compared to 126 during 2019.
BZN
completed several construction projects in 2020. In November, the Concourse B expansion opened
with four more gates, an additional restaurant/bar, mother’s room, and pet
relief area. BZN also constructed over
3,000 linear feet of taxiway and infrastructure to serve additional new private
hangars. Eighteen new private hangars were
constructed during 2020. BZN is the seventh
busiest airport in the 7-state Northwest Region of the country (region
including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) and the
100th busiest airport in the nation in terms of passengers.
Passenger
totals in and out by airline brand in 2020 were:
·
United
Airlines – 267,786
·
Delta
Air Lines – 263,525
·
American
Airlines – 139,510
·
Alaska Airlines – 116,967
·
Allegiant
Air – 50,333
·
Frontier
Airlines – 33,023
·
JetBlue
– 11,269
·
Sun
Country – 6,088
·
Chartered
Airline Flights – 1,274
About Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Bozeman Yellowstone
International Airport (BZN) is Montana’s busiest airport and serves as a
year-round gateway to Yellowstone National Park. BZN also serves the recreation
areas of Big Sky Resort and Bridger Bowl as well as the business centers of
Bozeman, Belgrade, Big Sky and Livingston and higher education at Montana State
University and the Gallatin College. BZN
handles more passengers than any other Montana airport and is served by eight
airline brands with coast to coast non-stop service including Atlanta*, Boston*, Charlotte*
Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Houston*, Las Vegas, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark*, New York JFK*, New York LaGuardia*, Nashville, Philadelphia*,
Phoenix-Mesa, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle/Tacoma. Over 1,000 people are employed by the 37
entities with offices at the airport. *
Denotes seasonal service
