A record number of people flew out of Glacier Park International Airport last month, according to airport officials.
The airport had 21,280 revenue passengers board in Kalispell in June, over 1,000 passengers more than 2014 and setting a new high mark for the month.
GPIA is on pace to break its annual record for departing passengers. Travel is up 2.8 percent compared to the same period last year. There were a total of 227,561 enplaned revenue passengers in 2014.
“The growing consumer demand reflects the appeal of the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park region,” Airport Director Cindi Martin stated. “We appreciate our airline partners and their demonstrated faith in the region – adding up-gauged aircraft, increased flight frequency and service to/through more hubs.”
July and August are historically the busiest months at the airport.
As travel increases, Kalispell could continue to grow as a regional hub.
Officials with the state’s Department of Commerce have contacted members of Glacier AERO — a nonprofit organization that raises support for additional airline services — to explore the possibility of adding a direct flight from Kalispell to Calgary, Alberta.
A carrier in Canada expressed interest in adding a direct flight to the Flathead Valley during a recent trade trip with Montana officials.
“It’s an intriguing idea,” Kalispell Chamber of Commerce President Joe Unterreiner said.
The high number of Canadians who frequent the valley and own second homes here is well documented, but establishing the first direct flight into Canada from Kalispell presents a few challenges. The airport would need to staff a full-time cross-border customs office. Also, the relatively close proximity between Calgary and Kalispell could negate the need for a flight.
The new service would require a minimum revenue guarantee from Glacier AERO, but the organization has not previously identified it as a priority market.
“We want to listen to what they have to say, but we’ve heard in the past that it’s not economically feasible,” said Paul Johannsen with AERO.
Glacier AERO still considers added service to the Bay Area and Texas as priorities, Johannsen said.
GPIA is served by Allegiant, Alaska, Delta and United with year-round service to Denver, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle with additional season service to Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Oakland/San Francisco and Portland.