Missoula Montana Airport

Missoula Montana Airport (IATA: MSO, ICAO: KMSO, FAA LID: MSO) is located in Missoula, in Missoula County, Montana. It is owned by the Missoula County Airport Authority.^[2]

Missoula Montana Airport Johnson-Bell Field
Former Missoula airport terminal building, now demolished.
IATA: MSO ICAO: KMSO FAA LID: MSO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Missoula County Airport Authority
Serves	Missoula, Montana
Elevation AMSL	3,206 ft / 977 m
Coordinates	46°54′59″N 114°05′26″W / 46.91639°N 114.09056°W / 46.91639; -114.09056Coordinates: 46°54′59″N 114°05′26″W / 46.91639°N 114.09056°W / 46.91639; -114.09056
Website	FlyMissoula.com
Map
MSO Location of airport in Montana Show map of Montana MSO MSO (the United States) Show map of the United States
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 12/30 9,501 2,896 Asphalt 08/26 4,612 1,406 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Aircraft operations 35,944 Based aircraft 161 Passengers (2019) 907,777
Sources: Montana DOT ^[1]

A United Express CRJ200 arriving from San Francisco

Former Missoula Airport terminal building, now demolished.

The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).^[3] Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 288,071 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,^[4] 281,428 in 2009 and 289,875 in 2010.^[5]

Several expansion projects have been completed in recent years. A 101-foot control tower was completed in September 2012. An expansion of the old terminal building, with a new security screening area, was completed in 2007. In 2022, construction finished on the new terminal.^[6]

In September 2021, the airport changed its name from Missoula International Airport to Missoula Montana Airport.^[7]

History

Missoula's first landing strip was laid out in 1923 south of the university. An additional strip near the Western Montana Fair Grounds on what is now Sentinel High School was sold to the county in 1927 at the request of the Missoula chapter of the National Aeronautic Association and would become Missoula's first true airport. The current airfield is named after that chapter's first president, Harry O. Bell, along with mountain flying pioneer Bob Johnson of Johnson Flying Service (now Minuteman Aviation).

The original Garden City Airport was renamed Hale Field in 1935 and would operate as such until closing forever in 1954.

The airport was gradually replaced by the Missoula County Airport, opened in 1941 with WPA funds, and the cooperation of the US Forest Service, which needed access to an airport. The new airport was renamed Johnson-Bell Field in 1968 and today serves over 750,000 passengers a year.^[8]

Facilities

The airport covers 2,700 acres (1,093 ha) at an elevation of 3,206 feet (977 m). It has two asphalt runways: 12/30 is 9,501 by 150 feet (2,896 x 46 m) and 8/26 is 4,612 by 75 feet (1,406 x 23 m).^[2][9]

In the year ending January 1, 2018 the airport had 35,944 aircraft operations, average 98 per day: 63% general aviation, 16% air taxi, 20% airline, and 2% military. 161 aircraft were then based at the airport: 56% single-engine, 20% multi-engine, 18% jet, and 14% helicopter.^[2]

The airport recently constructed a new 101-foot tall control tower, replacing one that opened in 1961.^[10] The new control tower is one of the tallest control towers in the Pacific Northwest, and is the tallest in Montana. It cost an estimated $6.77 million.^[10]

Due to increased patronage, it was determined in 2013 that further expansion of the current terminal was not financially prudent, with a new terminal instead being proposed. Construction started on Phase 1 of the new terminal, the South Concourse, in 2018, and finished in 2022.^[11] Demolition of the old terminal was completed in 2023, with construction on Phase 2, the East Concourse Extension starting shortly thereafter. This will include four new gates, an expanded baggage claim area and a new rental car center.^[12]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
Alaska Airlines	Seattle/Tacoma Seasonal: San Francisco, Portland (OR), San Diego
Allegiant Air	Las Vegas, Orange County, Phoenix/Mesa Seasonal: Los Angeles, Oakland
American Airlines	Dallas/Fort Worth
American Eagle	Dallas/Fort Worth Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare, Los Angeles
Delta Air Lines	Minneapolis/St. Paul
Delta Connection	Minneapolis/St. Paul, Salt Lake City
Frontier Airlines	Seasonal: Denver
United Airlines	Denver Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare
United Express	Denver Seasonal: Los Angeles, San Francisco

Neptune Aviation, an aerial firefighting company, is based at the airport.

Destinations map
Missoula   Chicago–O'Hare   Dallas/Fort Worth   Denver   Las Vegas   Los Angeles   Minneapolis/St. Paul   Oakland   Orange County   Phoenix-Mesa   Portland   Salt Lake City   San Diego   San Francisco   San Jose   Seattle/Tacoma class=notpageimage| Destinations from Missoula Montana Airport Red = Year-round destination Green = Seasonal destination Blue = Future destination

Statistics

Top destinations

Top ten busiest domestic routes out of MSO
(November 2021 - October 2022)^[13]

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Denver, Colorado	104,000	Frontier, United
2	Salt Lake City, Utah	77,000	Delta
3	Seattle/Tacoma, Washington	70,000	Alaska
4	Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota	51,000	Delta
5	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	50,000	American
6	Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona	18,000	Allegiant
7	Las Vegas, Nevada	15,000	Allegiant
8	Los Angeles, California	11,000	Alaska, Allegiant, United
9	Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois	7,000	American, United
10	San Francisco, California	6,000	Alaska, United

See also

• List of airports in Montana

References

1. https://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/webdata/external/aero/boardings/boardings-2019.pdf^{[bare URL PDF]}
2. FAA Airport Form 5010 for MSO PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective June 7, 2014.
3. (PDF). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF, 2.03 MB) on September 27, 2012.
4. "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009.
5. "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011.
6. "Terminal Expansion Project: New Terminal Building is Open!" (PDF). flymissoula.com. July 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
7. Kidston, Martin (September 2021). "Authority unveils new Missoula Montana Airport name, logo". KPAX8 Missoula and Western Montana. Scripps Local Media. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
8. "Airport Studies and Research". Montana.gov. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
9. "MSO airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
10. Briggeman, Kim (July 27, 2010). "Tower to rise: Missoula airport to get modern control center". The Missoulian.
11. Fryer, Brian. "Missoula's New Airport Will Improve Passenger Service in Western Montana". Engineering News-Record. BNP Media. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
12. Erickson, David (January 5, 2023). "Missoula Airport begins $42M second-phase expansion project". Missoulan. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
13. RITA | BTS | Transtats

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Missoula International Airport.

• Missoula Montana Airport, official website
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective February 23, 2023
• FAA Terminal Procedures for MSO, effective February 23, 2023
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KMSO
  • ASN accident history for MSO
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KMSO
  • FAA current MSO delay information