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Swank Enterprises Teams Up with Nevada Contractor for GPIA Expansion

$100 million terminal expansion to begin this year

By Justin Franz
Glacier Park International Airport on Jan. 6, 2016. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Swank Enterprises is teaming up with a Nevada construction company to lead the $100 million terminal expansion at Glacier Park International Airport.

Swank, a Montana-based company, will jointly manage the effort with Q&D Construction, the Flathead Municipal Airport Authority announced on Feb. 10.

The project is expected to take almost four years to complete and will expand the terminal from about 75,000 square feet to 198,000 square feet. The airport will go from five gates to seven gates once construction is complete. Six of the gates will feature jet bridges and only one ground-level gate will remain.

As part of the effort, each gate will have larger waiting areas and additional concessions will be built in the gate area, including a bar and restaurant. Security will also have more room so the airport can handle more people at once.

The expansion will enable GPIA to handle the growing number of people flying in and out of the Flathead Valley. The airport has seen a 33 percent increase in passenger volume since 2014.

“This is an exciting project for our community and visitors to Northwest Montana,” said Dewey Swank, executive vice president for Swank Enterprises. “We look forward to working with GPIA to build this expansion that will serve the increased passenger demands the airport is experiencing now and well into the future.”

The project is expected to begin this summer.

Q&D Construction is familiar with the aviation industry and has worked on more than 100 airport projects over the years.

GPIA Airport Director Rob Ratkowski said the expansion will position the airport for years to come.

“We’re planning for the next 20 years,” Ratkowski said.