UPDATE: 11/5/19, 12:20 PM - An eighth airline will begin flying into the Bozeman-Yellowstone International Airport next June.
Airport and Chamber of Commerce officials say Sun Country Airlines of Minneapolis will begin twice-a-week service between Minneapolis and Bozeman on June 3, 2020.
A new direct flight is a nice addition to Bozeman, but the airport is trying to attract an even bigger prize - Southwest Airlines. Airport Director Brian Sprenger says this could help.
"I think any time that we have a kind of a high profile add into our market, it makes it more likely for the future for other airlines to be looking at our market," Sprenger said.
Southwest has been hit hard by the Boeing 737-Max groundings and canceled 9,500 flights in the third quarter alone. In that time, the only new routes for Southwest have been to Hawaii.
Bozeman Chamber of Commerce President Daryl Schliem says the community grows every time new air services are added.
"From what we've seen every time we open a new direct flight and a new direct market, we see multiple businesses and multiple home ownerships that come as a result of that,” said Schliem.
Sprenger says Sun Country will offer flights at rates as low as $89 each way. There will be one flight to Minneapolis and one flight to Bozeman on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Unlike some other airline deals, Sun Country is not receiving a guaranteed payment from local businesses if the flights do not fill up.
