The flights into Bozeman keep getting better. This past week, Allegiant Airlines announced a direct flight to Nashville, TN, and JetBlue announced they would bring nonstop service from New York’s JFK and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Both flights will operate on a seasonal summer and winter schedule starting in June 2020.
This brings the total number of nonstop flights in and out of Bozeman to 21! Pretty impressive for this bustling little mountain town.
So why all the hype? There’s plenty of reason. Bozeman, the fastest growing town in Montana, is a mecca of outdoor recreation and urban sophistication. The city is full of energy. Nestled between the west and north entrances to Yellowstone National Park, a short drive from Big Sky Resort and Bridger Bowl, and situated between three major rivers, there are endless opportunities for play.
The secret is out. In 2019, Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport set its 10th consecutive passenger record, with over 1.57 million passengers traveling through the airport. In 2015, Bozeman airport became the first airport in Montana to handle over 1 million passengers-- that’s over 50% growth in the past four years! Annual passenger traffic has more than doubled over the past ten years and accounts for one-third of all airline passengers coming to and from Montana.
Airlines across the board are recognizing the value of Bozeman and increasing its service. In 2019, Allegiant added nonstop summer service to Los Angeles, Delta increased their Seattle/Tacoma flights to daily, and United increased their Houston summer and winter service to daily. In 2020, American will add Saturday service to Philadelphia, daily summer service to Los Angeles, and summer Saturday service to New York’s LaGuardia.
In May, Alaska Airlines will up-gauge two of their four daily nonstops to Seattle/Tacoma with mainline A319/A320 aircraft. In June, Sun Country will join the line-up bringing seasonal summer service to Minneapolis. Beginning in July, Delta will increase its Atlanta service to daily, year-round, making Bozeman the smallest market in the United States with daily service to the world’s largest hub airport.
The airport itself is diligently working to keep up with the growth. In 2019, they completed a 1,100 stall, multi-use parking garage and began construction on a four-gate, terminal concourse expansion. The Central Fire District opened a new fire station on airport property, and 19 new private hangars went under construction.
Construction will begin soon on the new Yellowstone Airport Plaza, a 50-plus acre multi-use complex that may eventually be home to a movie theater, bowling alley, and hotel in addition to retail shops, restaurants, and a gas station.
If you’re thinking of visiting from Nashville soon, fares are looking good! Allegiant is offering introductory priced, one-way tickets to and from Nashville as low as $66! Flight days, times, and the lowest fares are at Allegiant.com.