Great Falls International Airport is preparing for one of its busiest summers ever, with expanded airline service and long-term terminal upgrades on the horizon.
Airport director John Faulkner said summer months typically bring a significant jump in activity compared to the rest of the year.
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"Most months in the summer, we can get around 20,000 boardings per month."
That compares to roughly 15,000 boardings during peak months the rest of the year.
Some of that growth is driven by expanded airline service. Travelers will have more options this summer, including additional flights and larger aircraft serving Great Falls.
"So we have a few extra flights, like, Chicago starts here and so that's going to be really great."
For some routes, airlines are also bringing in bigger planes to meet demand.
"And then the bigger United planes shows up here. So we'll go to an A321 which adds about another 30 seats per departure. So that's where the additional seats come from. It's just a bigger volume of seats moving through the airport during the summertime."
While airport officials expect heavier traffic, they say travelers shouldn't anticipate the kind of congestion seen during major holiday travel periods. Still, passengers flying on weekends may want to build in some extra time.
The busy season comes during a milestone year for the airport.
"This is the 50th anniversary of our terminal building here."
With passenger numbers continuing to climb, airport leaders are planning upgrades designed to serve larger aircraft and more travelers for decades to come.
"We're 50 years old, and the terminal here wasn't made for groups of 130 to 200 people moving through it at one time. This will push us into the next 25 years, which is really going to be dominated by larger planes."
Those improvements include expanded gate seating, larger restrooms, and more restaurant space throughout the terminal.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
