Who Picked The Location For The Bozeman Yellowstone Airport?

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(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Belgrade Mayor Russ Nelson and Airport Manager Brian Springer joined me on The Morning Show to talk about the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.

(You can listen to the conversation at the bottom of this blog)

Why Belgrade?

Have you ever wondered why someone had the idea to build an airport 8 miles from Bozeman? As it turns out there is a method to their madness.

One of the principle reasons is the yearly snowline. If it were any closer to Bozeman there would be more cancellations and delays during the winter months. It seems that historically Bozeman gets more snow than Belgrade.

The City of Bozeman bought the land for the airport so they maybe why it’s not called the Belgrade Yellowstone Airport.

The TSA (the people who go through the luggage you packed so carefully) are private and license their services to the government.

However many there are and what they do is very hush-hush.

The Rich And Famous Have Found Us

The airport averages about 10 private plane landings per day. Both jets and prop planes arrive every day to take advantage of our great skiing, fishing, hunting, or just to relax in the last best place on earth.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Sets New Passenger Record

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) handled 1,107,168 passengers during 2016. This is up 8.4% compared to 2015 and sets a passenger record for BZN and is the seventh consecutive year of record-breaking passenger traffic. BZN now handles 52% more passengers in 2016 than it did in 2010 and accounts for 29% of all air travelers traveling to and from Montana.

Here Are The Numbers:

Passenger totals in and out by airline brand in 2016 were:

Delta Air Lines – 443,970
• United Airlines – 384,195
• Alaska Airlines – 169,141
• Allegiant Air – 58,925
• Frontier Airlines – 28,321
• American Airlines – 19,050
• Chartered Airline Flights – 3,566

BZN handles more passengers than any other Montana airport and is served by five airline brands with coast to coast non-stop service including Atlanta*, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth*, Denver, Houston*, Las Vegas, Los Angeles*, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark*, New York LaGuardia*, Phoenix-Mesa, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco*, and Seattle/Tacoma. Over 700 people are employed by the 30 entities with offices at the airport. (*Denotes Seasonal Service) (Source: Airport Press Release)

Some Final Thoughts

While there are 700 people working at the airport only about 35-40 are actually employed by the airport. Even more amazing is the fact that the airport operates without a single dime of taxpayer dollars.

It’s completely self-sufficient.

So fly the friendly skies out of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.