Montana's airports range from Bozeman, which handled 2.8 million passengers in 2025, to small regional fields with a couple of daily regional jets. Which airlines fly where changes with the season. Several of Montana's routes run only in summer, when Glacier and Yellowstone are fully open, or only in winter, for ski traffic to Big Sky and Whitefish.
This guide lists the carriers and nonstop markets that each airport and its published route lists show for 2026. It then covers the Empire Builder in detail: its Montana stops and the summer 2026 timetable, how the two Glacier stations work, and what has happened at Essex since the Izaak Walton Inn closed. Route lists change each season, so confirm them on the airport or airline site before you book.
Bozeman Yellowstone International (BZN)
BZN sits in Belgrade, 8 mi north-west of Bozeman, and has been Montana's busiest airport since 2013. In 2025 it set a record of 2,809,419 passengers, up 6.3% on 2024.
- Airlines: Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country and United.
- Year-round nonstops (12): Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix/Mesa, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle.
- Seasonal nonstops (14): Austin, Boise, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago Midway, Dallas Love Field, Detroit, Houston, Nashville, New York JFK, Newark, Phoenix Sky Harbor, San Diego and Washington Dulles.
- New for summer 2026: Austin, Long Beach and Phoenix Sky Harbor. On October 5, 2026, American announced a seasonal JFK service for summer 2027.
BZN is the best gateway for Big Sky (about 46 mi) and both Montana entrances to Yellowstone.
Glacier Park International (FCA)
FCA lies between Kalispell and Columbia Falls, about 24 road miles from the park's west entrance. It reached about one million passengers in 2025. Its year-round flights are Alaska to Seattle and Portland, Allegiant to Las Vegas, Delta to Minneapolis/St. Paul and Salt Lake City, and United to Denver.
In summer FCA adds a long list of seasonal routes, according to its published route list. American flies to Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth and New York LaGuardia. United adds Chicago, Houston, Newark, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Alaska flies to San Diego, Allegiant to Phoenix/Mesa, Delta to Austin and Sun Country to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Most of these routes run in summer, so off-season visitors connect through Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City or Minneapolis.
Missoula (MSO) and Billings (BIL)
Missoula Montana Airport is about 5 mi from Missoula and passed one million passengers in 2024. It set a monthly record of 142,399 passengers in July 2026. Its published route list includes:
- Alaska to Seattle and Portland, with San Diego in season
- Allegiant to Las Vegas and Phoenix/Mesa
- American to Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago
- Delta to Salt Lake City and Minneapolis/St. Paul
- United to Denver, with Chicago and San Francisco in season
- Seasonal Sun Country flights to Minneapolis/St. Paul
The airport is building more gates and a bigger baggage hall in a second expansion phase.
Billings Logan International sits on the Rims above Billings and passed one million passengers for the first time in 2025. Its carriers are:
- Alaska to Seattle and Portland
- Allegiant to Las Vegas and Phoenix/Mesa
- American to Dallas/Fort Worth, with Chicago and Phoenix in season
- Delta to Minneapolis/St. Paul and Salt Lake City
- United to Denver and Chicago
BIL is also the hub for Cape Air's small-plane flights to Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Sidney and Wolf Point. This is the only scheduled air service to much of eastern Montana.
Great Falls, Helena, Butte and West Yellowstone
- Great Falls (GTF): Alaska to Seattle, Allegiant to Las Vegas and Phoenix/Mesa, Delta Connection to Salt Lake City and United to Denver, with a seasonal Chicago flight. It is the closest airport to Great Falls and a reasonable entry for Glacier's east side, about 157 mi from St. Mary.
- Helena Regional (HLN): about 3 mi from Helena, with Alaska to Seattle, Delta Connection to Salt Lake City and United Express to Denver.
- Bert Mooney, Butte (BTM): Delta Connection to Salt Lake City and United Express to Denver. United's Denver flight was suspended after its 2022 launch and resumed in January 2025.
- Yellowstone Airport, West Yellowstone (WYS): open from June to September. In 2024 it had seasonal regional-jet flights to Salt Lake City (Delta Connection) and Denver (United Express). Check whether both run in your travel year.
The Empire Builder across Montana
The Empire Builder is the only passenger train in Montana. It runs once a day in each direction between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, and splits at Spokane into Seattle and Portland sections. Chicago to Seattle takes about 46 hours. The timetable puts the Glacier section in daylight in both directions in midsummer. Westbound trains reach Glacier in the evening, and eastbound trains pass in the morning.
Times from the Amtrak timetable valid August 9 to September 20, 2026 (Mountain Time):
| Station (code) | Westbound | Eastbound |
|---|---|---|
| Wolf Point (WPT) | 12:34 p.m. | 4:32 p.m. |
| Glasgow (GGW) | 1:20 p.m. | 3:44 p.m. |
| Malta (MAL) | 2:20 p.m. | 2:43 p.m. |
| Havre (HAV) | arr. 3:54 p.m. | dep. 1:24 p.m. |
| Shelby (SBY) | arr. 6:13 p.m. | dep. 11:28 a.m. |
| Cut Bank (CUT) | 6:51 p.m. | 10:27 a.m. |
| East Glacier Park (GPK, summer) | 7:48 p.m. | 9:36 a.m. |
| Essex (ESM, request stop) | 8:44 p.m. | 8:37 a.m. |
| West Glacier (WGL) | 9:27 p.m. | 7:57 a.m. |
| Whitefish (WFH) | arr. 10:06 p.m. | dep. 7:26 a.m. |
| Libby (LIB) | 12:05 a.m. | 5:11 a.m. |
Long-distance trains often run late, so treat these times as a pattern, not a promise.
The Glacier stations: West Glacier, East Glacier Park and Essex
- West Glacier (WGL): in the village at the park's west entrance, near Apgar and Lake McDonald. Most Glacier-bound train passengers who aren't going to Whitefish get off here.
- East Glacier Park (GPK): the gateway to Two Medicine and Glacier's east side, served only in summer, roughly April to October. From about October to April the train stops at Browning instead.
- Essex (ESM): a request stop on the park's southern boundary. The train halts only when Amtrak's reservation system shows someone boarding or getting off. The Izaak Walton Inn, the railway hotel the stop served, closed permanently in March 2026, and the property was listed for sale. Amtrak still listed Essex in its August–September 2026 timetable. With the inn closed there is no hotel shuttle, so confirm your onward transport before booking.
- Whitefish (WFH): the busiest Montana station, in the historic depot downtown. It is about 28 mi from the park entrance and close to Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Before you go
- Check each airport's own route list for your travel month. FCA in particular has far fewer routes outside summer.
- If you pair parks, compare an open-jaw ticket into FCA and out of BZN.
- Book Empire Builder sleeper rooms early for July and August, and confirm stop times on amtrak.com.
- Arrange onward transport from West Glacier, East Glacier Park or Essex in advance. Rental cars at the rail stations are limited.
- Plan for an evening westbound arrival at the Glacier stations.
Details checked October 2026.