Funviralpark After winter weather and chaotic holiday travel canceled thousands of flights at U.S. airports at the end of December, a cold snap followed by freezing rain and fog led to Glacier Park International Airport (GPIA). was forced to close on Christmas Day afternoon and evening.
“It was a given,” said GPIA Director Rob Latkowski. “Everything was extremely cold, so the pavement was extremely chilled and warm air masses were coming in.”
Ratkowski said the airport had to temporarily suspend operations after Christmas visibility was only one-eighth of a mile, falling short of the FAA standard of half a mile.
Temperatures in Kalispell plummeted to minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit on December 22, and climbed past zero to 31 degrees Fahrenheit on Christmas, according to National Weather Service data. On December 27th, the maximum temperature continued to rise to 39°C.
Freezing rains in Seattle have canceled several Alaska Airlines flights to Kalispell, adding to the chaos of Christmas travel. The company canceled more than a third of his U.S. flights on the Friday before Christmas.
“I would like to give a big thank you to the crew who put in a lot of work over the Christmas holidays,” Ratkowski said. you can’t.”
According to FlightAware, as of Thursday afternoon, 4,170 flights, including international ones, had been canceled within the United States, resulting in 13,342 delays.
Southwest Airlines, which does not operate under GPIA, was the most affected on Monday, canceling about 70% of its flights.
GPIA’s December travel data is not yet available, but data for November revealed slightly higher traffic than the same month in 2021, with 22,563 departures compared to 22,328 in 2021 .
Separately, an airport expansion project is underway as construction crews continue construction of the first phase, which will triple the size of the airport, which is almost half complete. The grand opening of his new $100 million space is scheduled for October 2023, and Ratkowski said the airport will be remarkably active this summer with new security his checkpoints, grand staircases, restaurants and bars, and more. It’s going to be big.
Phase 2 of the project will rely on federal funding.
Additions to the airport include an expanded passenger area, back-of-house improvements, TSA screening checkpoints, and baggage areas. Two more gates will be added to the existing five gates, a larger waiting area will be added and a bar and restaurant will be added to the concession. All of these are designed to reduce congestion. Flathead County will also have its first escalator, adding an ‘architectural flair’ to the airport’s design with building materials of glass, wood, steel and stone.
“This summer we plan to have a little more space than we have in the past,” says Ratkowski.
