First Passengers Welcomed at Brand New $67 Million Missoula Airport Terminal

Jun. 8—Missoula Montana Airport Director Brian Ellestad was going on about 24 hours with no sleep as of noon on Wednesday.

The airport officially opened its new $67 million terminal on Wednesday, and Ellestad wanted to make sure the first flights and the rush of passengers came through with no problems.

"Everything's going great so far," he said before stopping to give directions to a passenger. "I've seen a lot of smiles."

To get the new terminal ready, he and his staff had to conduct a five-hour "sterile area sweep" on Tuesday that involved checking almost every inch of the new building by hand for anything that's not allowed. The first flights arrived at about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, and Ellestad said most of the passengers that disembarked were surprised that they were welcomed into a brand new terminal. In fact, most of them had parked near the old terminal building.

"I stayed overnight, and the next morning the checkpoint opened at 4 a.m. and all the morning flights left early," he said. "That was a great testament to the team."

Wednesday's grand opening was the culmination of years of planning and work for Ellestad, his staff, and many other businesses and organizations. Construction began on the three-story, 175,000-square-foot building in 2018. It was paid for by $31 million in federal funding, user fees from airlines and other sources, including a federal low-emissions grant. No local tax funds were used for the construction.

Ellestad said the new space was sorely needed because the old terminal building, first built in 1941, was cramped and lacked the technology and amenities of modern airports.

"I think the biggest thing is just space," he said, referring to the improvements that visitors will find at the new terminal. "Circulation, space and wayfinding is much improved."

There's more concession opportunities, more charging stations and even a pet relief "bathroom" for service animals.

"So just a lot of things that people take for granted that we were unable to give in the old terminal," he said.

The new terminal features the only working escalator in western Montana. It's also got self-dimming glass that blocks out the hot sun on bright days and lets in more light on cloudy days, which saves the airport a significant amount of cooling costs, Ellestad explained.

Frances Abbey, on her way to catch a flight to Phoenix, said she's been coming to the Misssoula airport for 50 years.

"This is a big change," she said. "It's 'big city' now. It's nice to have all the space. It's a good thing. They did a good job with it."

Mike and Kim Joiner came to Missoula from Utah for a day of floating and fishing.

"This is one of the most beautiful airports I've ever seen," Mike Joiner said, sitting down with a meal on the new outdoor observation deck with a view of the mountains.

The new terminal building features two Black Coffee Roasting Co. cafes, with one positioned before security and one past security. Visitors will also find a new Cold Smoke Tavern and KettleHouse restaurant, with huge windows looking out at the runway.

In August, the airport will begin Phase 2 of its terminal expansion project. The old terminal building will be deconstructed to make way for four more additional aircraft gates, an expanded baggage claim, more restrooms and a rental car center. That project may be completed by 2025 if the airport gets the necessary federal grants.

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