The Old Terminal at the Missoula Airport is Set to Meet Its Doom
There was a lot of excitement and buildup to the opening of the new terminal at the Missoula Airport. It's been open for about a month now and I've yet to hear anybody have a bad thing to say about it. I had a friend fly in the day after it opened and his only critique was that it seemed a bit strange to fly into the fancy new terminal and then get baggage in what he called "the crappy old one." But that was a temporary situation that no longer exists as baggage claim is now happening in the new terminal, at least it is for now, until the next phase of contstruction makes a new home for it. And that plan will become one step closer to becoming a reality as they prepare to tear down the old terminal building.
What's next out at the airport?
With a new viewing area, improved food and drink options, and hi-tech security features, the new terminal is just a glimpse into what is still to come at the Missoula Airport. A story on the KPAX website says that the task of tearing down the old terminal should begin in August. A friend of mine works at the airport and says they've recently been gutting the building as they prepared to turn off the power and get things ready for deconstruction.
Three years seems so far in the future!
When the next two phases of the project are complete, the new concourse will have a permanent home for baggage claim, car rentals (which have currently been moved to the parking lot,) and four new airline gates. It sounds like it'll be a pretty slick operation once everything is completed. But that might be a while as the opening of the new building isn't expected until as late as 2025.