While airport officials had a hunch over the last few months, they made it official on Wednesday, saying construction of Phase 1 of the new passenger terminal was delivered under budget.
While the pandemic kept a lid on air travel in early 2022, Missoula Montana Airport saw a sharp increase in passengers during the fall, and it expects 2023 to be a record year.
While much of the travel scrutiny fell upon Southwest Airlines this holiday travel season, passengers in the Pacific Northwest faced similar issues with Alaska Airlines.
With demolition of the old passenger terminal nearly complete and Phase 2 construction set to begin, Missoula Montana Airport plans to jump ahead and seek bids for Phase 3.
Overall, the airlines have roughly 9% more seats in the local market than they did in September 2019 – a record year for the airport and one that predates the opening of the new passenger terminal.