Alaska Airlines adds California flights to GPIA lineup

Alaska Airlines is the latest in a string of new additions to expand flight options at Glacier Park International Airport.

Starting May 20, Alaska Airlines will offer two new routes from Kalispell to Los Angeles and San Diego.

Alaska’s seasonal service to California will last from May through Labor Day weekend in September. Service to Los Angeles will be available twice a week, and flights to San Diego will run three times a week.

Alaska Airlines currently offers year-round service to Seattle and seasonal service to Portland.

“Montana, and specifically the Flathead Valley, are quickly becoming a destination of choice for many travelers and the growth we are experiencing at GPIA is evidence of that,” Glacier Park International Airport Director Rob Ratkowski said in a press release. “We are pleased that Alaska Airlines will open additional opportunities for visitors to see our beautiful area and for the added value for Montana travelers as well.”

Alaska Airlines spokesman Brett Catlin said the airline has “long offered access to some of the best vacation destinations from Southern California and continues to see opportunities to grow our footprint in the region.”

The expanded service not only increases travel options, but also provides further proof of GPIA’s continued recovery since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though GPIA experienced sharp declines around this time last year, including record low passenger volumes in April 2020, the airport has shown strong signs of recovery, particularly in the past few months.

Alaska Airlines is the fifth air carrier this year to expand flight options to Kalispell.

And the airport’s planned $100 million expansion — -tabled last year amid the pandemic — gets underway this spring. The project will add space and amenities to better service the passenger increase expected to accompany the Alaska Airlines’ flights and other new Kalispell travelers.

For more information on Alaska Airlines destinations and fares, visit alaskaair.com.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com