Airport passengers set June record

Glacier Park International Airport set a record for passenger volume in June and is on track for another record-breaking year, Airport Director Cindi Martin said.

A total of 21,280 enplaned revenue passengers used the airport in June, up from 20,019 passengers in June 2014.

Airport traffic set a record last year, with 227,561 passengers and passenger counts to date this year are up 2.8 percent over the same period a year ago, Martin said.

Passenger numbers have been increasing steadily since Northwest Montana emerged from an economic downturn in 2011.

That year the number of enplaned revenue passengers totaled 179,034. In 2012 the passenger count surged to 194,030 and was surpassed in 2013 with a count of 200,520 passengers.

The 2014 passenger count was 13.5 percent higher than 2013.

“The growing consumer demand reflects the appeal of the Flathead Valley and Glacier National Park region,” Martin said in a prepared statement. “We appreciate our airline partners and their demonstrated faith in the region, adding up-gauged aircraft, increase flight frequency and service to and through more hubs.”

Delta mainline and Alaska Air/Horizon have the biggest market share of Glacier Park International’s air traffic, with 27.9 percent and 26.1 percent respectively.

United/Skywest handles 19.9 percent of the passenger volume, with Delta/Skywest at 15.6 percent and Allegiant at 10.2 percent.