Air Travel Demand Remains Strong at Glacier Park International Airport Despite Economic Uncertainty

As Glacier Park International Airport (GPIA) continues to break air traffic records, officials are bracing for a busy travel season as peak flying months approach.

From January through April, GPIA Director Rob Ratkowski said annual traffic rose by more than 10% compared to 2024, which he attributes to the Flathead Valley’s population growth along with the strong tourism demand. That trajectory is expected to continue throughout the summer as northwest Montana remains a hub for visitors.

“We’re getting ready for a busy summer and looking forward to moving lots of people,” Ratkowski said.

Last year during the peak summer months, GPIA saw 77,864 boardings in July, up almost 15% from 2023, which saw 68,504 boardings.

Significant year-over-year growth is impacting shoulder seasons, too, with 26,842 boardings in April of 2025 compared to 24,196 in April of 2024.

Despite economic uncertainty and data that reveals consumers are spending less on flights, Memorial Day weekend was projected to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 12%. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was expected to screen 18 million passengers and crews at airports nationwide from Thursday through Wednesday. Nearly 54,000 flights were scheduled on May 22, according to AAA.

While air travel demand has remained strong at GPIA, major U.S. airlines earlier this year have reduced flight schedules and have revised or withdrawn their profit outlooks amid global tensions and lower demand.

Recession fears have also prompted some consumers to shift their travel plans and, according to Future Partners travel data, 70% of survey respondents expect to change their travel behavior by cutting back on trips, choosing more affordable locations and driving instead of flying.

Although airlines have been reduced in some locations across the United States, Ratkowski says GPIA’s airlines remain mostly unaffected. American Airlines recently added a seasonal direct flight from LaGuardia Airport – the only East Coast connection – to GPIA. Anti-American sentiment is also impacting international travel to the United States, which is expected to fall by 9.4% this year and includes air and vehicle travel.

But Ratkowski remains optimistic.

“Assuming we will not get as much international travel – that would probably impact us,” Ratkowski said. “Maybe we’d make it up in domestic travel.”

Despite the projected shift in air travel trends this summer, GPIA is working to keep up with the travel demand and construction on the $150 million expansion is on track to be completed by 2026.

Ratkowski said the new central atrium recently opened to passengers and crews are finishing up work on the main entrance, which is slated to be completed in the next few weeks.

“After four years, you can walk from one end of the building to the other,” Ratkowski said.

Over the next year, a new baggage claim and upstairs gate will be added along with the final touches on the main building and renovations to the rental car facility.

A new parking lot also added 375 spaces, including ADA-accessible parking, totaling roughly 1,300 spaces between the general parking area and cell phone lot.

“We’re getting close,” Ratkowski said.

The airport’s construction broke ground in 2021 after the pandemic briefly paused the long-planned project, starting with new passenger areas, back-of-house improvements, TSA screening checkpoints and baggage areas. Multiple concessions were added including Montana Coffee Traders and the Goat Haunt Saloon along with Flathead County’s first escalators.

Millions of dollars in federal funding was granted for the terminal and gate expansion that will triple the facility’s size once completed as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminals Program.

For additional information about airport services and amenities, please visit iflyglacier.com.

[email protected]