KALISPELL — Phase one of Glacier Park International Airport's expansion project is now complete with a new baggage claim area, a new ticketing desk and a new waiting area to improve the overall airport experience.
With an opening ceremony at the airport a new era has officially begun in Kalispell’s international airport.
With the area growing in popularity, GPIA’s Director Rob Ratkowski saw the need to change the airport’s design to be easier to maneuver.
“The most important one is we just have much more square footage. We went from 75,000 square feet in the old building to 210,000 square feet in the new space,” Ratkowski said. “So we just have room for people to move again.”
On top of expanding the airport, Matt Dubbe, the architect on the project, also wanted the building’s design to reflect what Montana has to offer by using materials that can be found in the state.
“It's a cultural landscape, the materials, giving them views to the mountains,” Dubbe said. “It’s truly Montana and a unique Montana experience because every airport should reflect its community.”
It was said multiple times at the ceremony that an airport is the first impression of the place you are visiting, and it is safe to say this new expansion leaves a good one.
“We had to do a project to expand the airport; it desperately needed more square footage,” Ratkoski said. “We wanted to really be impactful to travelers who are coming here, and we wanted to be a good representation for the people that call this home.”
The final phase of GPIA’s expansion project is set to be completed next year.
