Overview of the Authority

The Helena Regional Airport Authority is a political subdivision of the State of Montana. The airport itself is owned and operated by the Helena Regional Airport Authority. The Authority consists of a seven-member Board that establishes the rules and operating procedures by which the airport operates. The City of Helena appoints three of the members and the County appoints the other three. The seventh seat is a joint City/County appointment. The Airport Director is responsible for the day to day operation and overall management of the airport.

The Helena Regional Airport Authority receives no local tax funding or mills, but does receive Federal and State funds for approved Airport Improvement Program projects as approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. The Airport operates much like a business in the sense that it funds its own operational and maintenance needs through the revenues it generates from various activities. The Helena Airport has developed both aeronautical - and non-aeronautical - based revenue through the variety of activities that exist at the airport today. Many of these developments, once completed, contribute a large taxable income base to the City of Helena in addition to providing revenue necessary for the maintenance and operation of the airport.