A record 351,214 passengers boarded scheduled airline flights at Gallatin Field Airport in 2008, up 4.8% over the previous record set in 2007. New airline service by Frontier Airlines to Denver and Allegiant Air to Las Vegas as well as new seasonal non-stop service on United Express to Los Angeles all contributed to the record year.
The Air Traffic Control Tower at Gallatin Field handled 76,762 aircraft operations during the year. General aviation accounts for 73% of Gallatin Field’s aircraft operations. Scheduled passenger and cargo airline service accounts for approximately 19% and corporate jet operations account for the remaining 8% of all Gallatin Field aircraft operations.
During 2008, the Gallatin Airport Authority expanded the public parking lot from 760 stalls to over 1,400 stalls in the second phase of the airline terminal expansion project, introduced an improved www.bozemanairport.com website and welcomed two new airlines to Southwest Montana. Preparations continue for the construction of an expanded terminal building which will more than double the terminal’s size.
Gallatin Field Airport serves Bozeman, Big Sky, Southwest Montana and Yellowstone National Park and is served by six airline brands with year round non-stop service to Denver, Great Falls, Las Vegas, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City and Seattle/Tacoma. Winter and summer schedules include non-stop service to Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Over 400 people are employed by the 28 entities with offices at Gallatin Field.
Passenger boardings by airline brand in 2008 were:
•United – 95,352
•Delta – 93,478
•Northwest – 92,542
•Horizon Air – 39,626
•Frontier – 27,039
•Allegiant Air – 3,025
•Big Sky – 152