After winter weather and chaotic holiday travel canceled thousands of flights across U.S. airports at the end of December, a cold snap followed by freezing rain and fog forced Glacier Park International Airport (GPIA) to shut down in the afternoon and evening of Christmas Day.
“It was to be expected,” GPIA Director Rob Ratkowski said. “Everything was super cold, so the pavement was super-cooled and then we had a warm airmass move in.”
Ratkowski said the visibility on Christmas Day only measured one-eighth of a mile, which did not meet the FAA standard of a half mile, forcing the airport to temporarily cease operations.
On Dec. 22, temperatures in Kalispell plummeted to a low of -34 degrees Fahrenheit, rising to 31 degrees above zero on Christmas Day, according to National Weather Service data. Temperatures continued rising to a high of 39 degrees on Dec. 27.
Freezing rain in Seattle canceled several Alaska Airlines flights to Kalispell, causing more Christmas travel chaos. The airline canceled more than one-third of its U.S. flights on the Friday before Christmas.
“We want to give a big shoutout to our crews who worked a lot over the Christmas holiday,” Ratkowski said. “We are happy to keep people moving as best we can – but you can’t fight physics.”
Nationwide, there were 4,170 flight cancelations in the United States, including international, and 13,342 delays as of Thursday afternoon, according to FlightAware.
Southwest Airlines – which does not operate at GPIA – canceled about 70% of its flights and was most affected on Monday.
While GPIA’s December travel data is not yet available, November’s data revealed slightly more traffic than the same month in 2021, with 22,563 departures compared to 22,328 in 2021.
Separately, the airport’s expansion project is underway as construction crews continue building the first phase that will triple the airport’s size, which is about halfway finished. The grand opening for the new $100 million space is scheduled for October 2023, and Ratkowski says this summer the airport will be noticeably larger with a new security checkpoint, a grand staircase, a restaurant and bar, and more.
Phase two of the project will be dependent on federal funding.
Additions to the airport will include expanded passenger areas, back-of-house improvements, TSA screening checkpoints and baggage areas. Two gates will be added to the existing five with larger waiting areas and a bar and restaurant will be added to concessions, all of which is designed to reduce congestion. Flathead County will also gain its first escalators and the airport design will add “architectural flair” with glass, wood, steel and stone building materials.
“We’ll have a little more space this summer than we have historically had,” Ratkowski said.