Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) reported its 2021 passenger numbers, and the results are astounding. A record 1,940,191 passengers flew through the airport last year, an increase of 118.1% over COVID impacted 2020 and a 23.3% increase over the previous record of 1,573,860 set in 2019. Over 40% of passengers traveling to or from Montana traveled through BZN in 2021.
“BZN has been fortunate to see a very robust recovery in passenger traffic with record-setting passenger levels since April 2021," said Airport Director Brian Sprenger. "It is estimated the increase in passengers in 2021 generated nearly $200 million in additional economic activity for Southwest Montana compared to 2019.”
On a national basis, the Transportation Security Administration reported a 31.1% decline in passengers across 440 U.S. airports for 2021 compared to 2019.
What's driving the increase in passengers?
The addition of Southwest airlines was a significant driver in the increase. Still, nearly every airline servicing BZN added additional destinations during the year, including seasonal non-stop markets such as San Diego, Austin, and Washington DC. In addition to more flights, the average aircraft size serving BZN increased from 99 seats in 2020 to 124 in 2021.
Passenger totals in and out by airline brand in 2021
- Delta Air Lines – 519,913
- United Airlines – 496,313
- American Airlines – 305,315
- Alaska Airlines – 228,867
- Southwest Airlines – 216,826
- Allegiant Air – 88,894
- JetBlue – 32,087
- Frontier Airlines – 22,157
- Sun Country – 12,912
- Avelo – 12,320
- Chartered Airline Flights – 4,587
In 2021, BZN also added two new passenger boarding bridges and began constructing a new $23 million in-line baggage handling system that will incorporate the latest TSA technology for baggage screening.
BZN is the seventh busiest airport in the 7-state Northwest Region of the country (region including Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington) and the 86th busiest airport in the nation in terms of passengers.
About Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) is Montana’s busiest airport and serves as a year-round gateway to Yellowstone National Park. BZN also serves the recreation areas of Big Sky Resort and Bridger Bowl and the business centers of Bozeman, Belgrade, Big Sky, and Livingston, and higher education at Montana State University and the Gallatin College. BZN handles more passengers than any other Montana airport with coast-to-coast non-stop service, including Atlanta*, Austin*, Boston*, Charlotte*, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Dallas-Love*, Denver, Fort Lauderdale*, Houston*, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Newark*, New York JFK*, Nashville, Phoenix-Mesa, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, and Washington, D.C. The 37 entities employ over 1,100 people with offices at the airport. * Denotes seasonal service.
If you enjoyed this blog, take a look at some of our other related articles:
- 9 Reasons Why the Bozeman Airport is the Best in the Nation
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun In Bozeman Montana
- What Makes Downtown Bozeman The Best Downtown In The Northwest?
In our never-ending quest to keep up with all things new in Bozeman, we have been producing content for years and can't possibly update every blog when new businesses open or existing businesses close. Please reference the publish date and do your own due diligence when making plans.