Airport is a major economic engine for Southwest Montana

Gallatin Field Airport is estimated to contribute an economic impact of over $282 million to the region according to a 2009 Montana Airports Economic Impact Study done by the Montana Department of Transportation and the FAA. The study, which compared airports throughout the state, indicated that Gallatin Field Airport provides the largest economic impact of any airport in the state and generates approximately 3,900 direct and indirect jobs in Southwest Montana. This impact illustrates the importance of what airports do for communities vying for position in the world stage. "In my opinion, the airport is one of the most important means of transportation that any business community wants and needs to be successful in operating their company. It helps in retaining current business to stay in the Bozeman Area and also is an economic recruiting tool to attract new employees to the area. Having a state-of-the-art airport that is the first welcome to our community is very important for business recruiting and retention and it also will play a vital role in helping us to grow our number of direct flights to the rest of the United States," said Daryl Schliem, President and CEO of the Bozeman Area Chamber of Commerce.

The airport benefits from the symbiotic relationships between the business centers of the Gallatin Valley, the cultural and educational significance of Montana State University and the tourism draws at Big Sky, Yellowstone Park and throughout Southwest Montana. These relationships support an airport that is much busier and better served than many population centers four times our size and greatly assists in economic development in the region. Conversely, the strength of the airport also supports economic growth throughout the region. "Airports represent economic engines and are a reflection of the communities they represent. More specifically, passenger traffic and cargo volume reflect our area's level of economic development in terms of business activities and tourism. Gallatin Field Airport recorded its busiest year ever with 365,210 passengers boarding airline flights in 2010. This represents a 6.6% increase over 2009 and nearly 14,000 passengers more than the previous record set in 2008. These are encouraging trends not only for Bozeman but all of southwest Montana," said Brit Fontenot, Director of Economic Development for the City of Bozeman.

Air transportation is necessary for the success of many area businesses including high tech and education. "Having Gallatin Field in our back yard is a huge asset for the Belgrade business community. Many of our businesses rely on air service, and the companies associated with the airport. Those associated businesses provide local jobs, and the new expansion will make it possible for more flights, which generates more jobs and tourist traffic. Tourists come to Belgrade to buy their groceries and other necessities when heading up to Big Sky or Yellowstone. Gallatin Field has always been a great partner with Belgrade and the City and Chamber continue to work with them on the proposed East Belgrade Interchange," said Debra Youngberg, Executive Director for the Belgrade Chamber of Commerce.

Tourism in Southwest Montana has grown significantly over the past thirty years and nowhere is it more evident than in the Big Sky area.

Gallatin Field Airport has been an important asset for this development. Meg O'Leary, Marketing Director for Big Sky Resort, says of their relationship with Gallatin Field " For almost 40 years Big Sky Resort has relied on Gallatin Field to expose and grow our business into a world class destination. Without the vision and hard work of all past and present board members, airport directors and staff, and all the airlines our mark on the tourism industry would be minimal. The beautiful new facility sets the stage for our visitors and creates confidence in their upcoming experience. Congratulations to all of us, looking forward to the next 40 years." The relationship between Big Sky and Gallatin Field has been instrumental in the development of new non-stop air service on Delta, United and Horizon to nearly all our destinations including Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles and in bringing low cost airline service to Gallatin Field by both Frontier and Allegiant Air.

These many relationships have put Southwest Montana, Bozeman and Big Sky on the world map. They have brought both the President and Vice President to our beautiful valley and hosted major world events such as the Asia Pacific Economic Conference this past May. Gallatin Field Airport has become the doorway for all of Southwest Montana.