BOZEMAN — If you’ve been to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport recently, you’ve probably noticed construction happening. Well, that’s all part of a terminal expansion.
“Oh yeah, this place can be packed,” said Roger Strand, a Seattle resident in the process of moving to Bozeman.
“It’s just a great area to live,” he said.
Strand says he first flew into Bozeman airport in 2005. “It was very intimate. Very efficient. Got in and out in a hurry,” he said.
MTN asked Strand if he’s noticed an increase in passengers. “The numbers got to be triple. It seems a lot busier overall,” said Strand.
WATCH: Bozeman Airport's Major Expansion: What Travelers Can Expect
Strand is right that the airport has gotten busier. From August 2024 to August 2025, Bozeman Yellowstone Airport saw a nearly 10% increase in passengers, from 314,279 to 345,533.
“It went relatively smoothly,” said Bozeman Yellowstone Airport CEO Brian Sprenger. In fact, Sprenger says that the Bozeman airport saw the same number of passengers this summer that the airports in Missoula, Kalispell, and Billings see in an entire year. He expects the high volume of passengers to continue.
“This fall we expect to continue to see increases in the high single-digit range, so I would say 5 to 10%,” said Sprenger.
With more passengers comes the need for more space. Right now, Sprenger says the Bozeman airport is working on a major terminal expansion. “We’ll go from about 300,000 square feet to almost 500,000 square feet,” said Sprenger.
With the terminal expansion will come five new gates, more restaurants and retail stores, and three full-service baggage claims.
Sprenger showed MTN the progress on the new construction, which will include a level for administrative offices, a concourse level, and a baggage claim level. MTN asked Sprenger if the airport plans to add new flight routes with the terminal expansion.
“For the most part, we are really one of the best served communities our size in the nation,” he said. “There are diminishing opportunities because we have most of them, but there are still a few out there that we’re looking at.”
For passengers like Strand, the expansion of the airport will be a positive addition.
“With as many people that are moving here, I think it’s really critical,” said Strand.
The new baggage claims will open at the end of 2026, and the new gates will open around the summer of 2027.
