EDITORIAL: Airport growth is source of pride

by Inter Lake editorial
| July 25, 2015 8:05 PM

As a nine-year, $32 million upgrade of Glacier Park International Airport wraps up, the Flathead Valley can be proud of a facility that has continued to improve and expand over time.

It was 40 years ago that the Flathead County Airport Authority was formed to shepherd the operation of a then-fledgling airport. Through the years this board has provided steady, progressive leadership and oversight as Glacier Park International has grown to meet the needs of an ever-increasing traveling public.

In a post-9/11 world, this has meant extra vigilance by everyone in the airline industry, including our local airport authority. It’s been an ongoing challenge to make the necessary improvements to ensure the safety of airline passengers, and there is an extraordinary amount of planning by the airport board and airport director that goes into keeping our facility at the pinnacle of efficiency and functionality.

Airport Director Cindi Martin pointed out in a recent Inter Lake article that keeping Glacier Park International in prime condition is a perpetual work in progress. As the last piece of the current capital improvement project wraps up, there are already plans to increase the terminal size and make the airport even more efficient.

One of the pieces of the upcoming expansion — planned within the next five to 10 years — is expanding the baggage claim area, a much-needed improvement. There are times when that area is elbow-to-elbow with travelers awaiting their luggage. The number of airline passengers using Glacier Park International has been on a steady, upward climb in recent years, so we’re glad to hear the airport authority is working on plans to accommodate that growth.

Another benefit to the airport is the Glacier Airline Enhancement and Retention Outreach — AERO — group that is working to expand air service. The outreach group had recent success in establishing weekly winter flights to Chicago and is looking at opportunities in other major cities.

We feel confident our airport will continue to expand in a way that thoughtfully considers every need of air travelers. Glacier Park International is one of the Flathead’s greatest assets and an important player in the economic development of Northwest Montana. It’s encouraging to have an airport board and director striving to take the airport to new heights.