BOZEMAN — If you flew through Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport last year, congratulations. You are one of the record 2.8 million passengers of 2025.
“We’ve seen a lot of passengers coming in. High, high numbers coming in,” said Mindy Spillers, who works at the Bozeman Airport for United Airlines.
“I’ve been living in Bozeman for seven years. I moved here actually, to work at the airport,” said Spillers.
She works everywhere from the ticket counter to the gates to the baggage office.
“So I see everything,” said Spillers.
MTN’s Esha Walia asked Spillers how the airport was this past year in terms of busyness.
“Come on a Saturday and look at the baggage claim… You won’t be able to see in front of you,” said Spillers. “It’s insane.”
It’s not just Spillers who has noticed these increases.
In 2025, Bozeman Airport saw 2,809,419 million passengers – a 6.3% increase from 2024’s 2,642,707 million – the highest number yet.
WATCH: Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport achieved record passenger numbers in 2025 with 2.8 million travelers
“We were probably a little surprised at how well we performed this year, especially considering all of the unknowns and the economy and changes that we’re adapting to,” said Bozeman Airport CEO Brian Sprenger.
Sprenger attributes this high performance to the airlines.
“In 2024, they performed very, very well in terms of making money in our market, so they added additional seats,” said Sprenger.
He says the most popular destinations of 2025 were New York, Boston, and San Diego.
“We’re seeing a number of our maturing markets see some strong performance,” said Sprenger.
Passenger numbers could continue to increase this year with more flight options being added. That includes three Saturday flights to Fort Lauderdale for spring break in March, as well as summer flights to Phoenix, Long Beach, and Austin.
“Once we get it through the door, so to speak, we have the opportunity to see it expand,” said Sprenger.
As you may recall, MTN News spoke with Sprenger in October about a major terminal expansion that will total between 300,000 to 500,000 square feet.
Flash forward three months, Sprenger says:
“The terminal project is going well, it's under budget and on time, and we hope to open the first phase coming up this next December,” said Sprenger.
And does Sprenger believe next December we’ll see another record year?
“We still are cautious going into 2026, but early indications are we should have a good year,” said Sprenger.
RELATED:
BZN ranked most expensive airport in America to rent a car
Busy summer travel mixed with airport expansion projects could lead to longer lines at BZN
Bozeman airport nominated for Best Small Airport by USA Today
