MISSOULA — More folks than ever passed through the Missoula International Airport in 2019.
Newly released numbers show that for the sixth year in a row the airport set an all-time passenger record, handling 907,777 passengers, marking a 7% increase over 2018. Airport officials also note that since 2000, they have experienced a 97% increase in passenger traffic.
“The continued growth of passengers into and out of the Missoula International Airport is a reflection of the positive economic health and growth of tourism in the Greater Missoula area,” said Cris Jensen, Airport Director. “We continue to see increased competition in our marketplace which has brought lower airfares for our customers.”
The growth is expected to continue in 2020. Alaska Airlines will start Los Angeles service on March 19 and will also upgrade two of their four Seattle flights to larger mainline aircraft starting May 21. Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines’ service to Denver will restart April 14 while Allegiant Airlines will restart service to Oakland May 14 and service to Los Angeles June 5.
American Airlines’ Chicago service will restart June 4 and their current Dallas service will be upgraded to larger mainline aircraft for the summer. Also, on June 4, United Airlines will restart Chicago and San Francisco service, with Los Angeles service restarting June 7. Delta Air Lines will be restarting seasonal service to Atlanta on June 14.
Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier and United currently serve the airport and nonstop flights are offered to 13 destinations. A multi-million dollar expansion project – including a new passenger terminal – is also in the works.
