Passenger Traffic Growth and Terminal Expansion at Helena Regional Airport
Passenger traffic at Helena Regional Airport has steadily increased since the last terminal expansion was completed in 2005. Over the past six years, traffic has grown by 23%. In 2018 alone, passenger traffic saw a 13% increase compared to 2017. This growth was partly driven by an additional 30,630 seats added to the Helena market, thanks to increased flights and the use of larger aircraft during peak travel seasons.
Looking ahead, the airport will see a change in the fleet mix serving Helena. The current 50-seat regional jets will be replaced by larger 76-seat jet aircraft, and turbo prop aircraft—currently boarded on the ground—will eventually be replaced by jet aircraft. These changes will require the addition of more jet bridges to accommodate the larger aircraft. Upon completion of the terminal expansion, the facility will have the capacity to serve six aircraft simultaneously from jet bridges, while retaining one ground boarding station accessible from Level 2.
The airport is actively working to convince airlines to increase service to Helena, and this expansion will help create opportunities for even greater growth in the future.
Planning and Construction of the Terminal Expansion
Planning for the terminal expansion began in 2016 as part of the Airport Master Plan Update. Construction officially began in July 2018 and was completed in three phases over two years. The funding for this project came from a combination of FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds and local airport revenue sources. No local tax dollars, bond levies, or mills were used to fund the expansion. The FAA AIP is funded by nationwide fees on airline tickets, aviation fuel sales, and air cargo transactions. A portion of these funds is allocated to the airport for specific infrastructure projects, including terminal improvements.
To ensure the airport remained operational throughout the construction process, the project was divided into three phases:
- Phase 1: Completed in March 2019, passenger boarding operations were moved into the new section.
- Phase 2: The largest portion of the expansion, completed in March 2020.
- Phase 3: Included the connection and remodeling of the existing TSA screening area and the relocation of the TSA checkpoint further into the terminal. This phase was completed in July 2020.
The project was finished ahead of schedule and within budget, marking a significant milestone in the airport’s growth and capacity to handle future traffic.
PROJECT TEAM:
Owner: Helena Regional Airport Authority
Architects: CWG Architects of Helena, Price, Simpson & Harvey Architects
Engineering/Project Management: Morrison Maierle Engineers of Helena
General Contractor: Dick Anderson Construction of Helena
Sub-Contractors:
ANDERSON STEEL SUPPLY INC
ARCO BUILDERS, INC
ATS FACILITY SYSTEMS
BARGREEN-ELLINGSON, INC
CONTRACT DESIGN ASSOCIATES
CRAFTMASTER CABINETS, INC.
FINISHING TOUCH CLEANING LLC
FRONTLINE GLASS INC
GALLATIN VALLEY ELEVATOR, LLC
GRUBER MASONRY INC.
G & S MECHANICAL USA, INC
HARRINGTONS FLOOR COVERING INC
HELENA INSULATION INC
HELENA SAND & GRAVEL
IT&M DIVISION INC
JOHN BEAN TECHNOLOGIES CORP
JUST RITE ACOUSTICS, INC
K2 SECURITY SOLUTIONS GROUP
MERIT MECHANICAL SERVICES INC
RDJ BROTHERS, INC
MOCKEL PRECAST
SMITTY’S FIREPLACE SHOP, INC.
SPARROW ENTERPRISES
SUMMIT ROOFING INC
T & L PAINTING INC
TRI-COUNTY MECHANICAL & ELECTRICAL
LANTEK, INC
The pictures below show the progression of this project through the 3 phases of construction:
