[3] Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 288,071 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[4] 281,428 in 2009 and 289,875 in 2010.

[7] Missoula's airport is home to a U.S. Forest Service smokejumper base, the largest of seven in the nation.

The original Garden City Airport was renamed Hale Field in 1935, and operated as such until closing forever in 1954.

[2][9] In the year ending January 1, 2018 the airport had 35,944 aircraft operations, for an average of 98 per day: 63% general aviation, 16% air taxi, 20% airline, and 2% military.

In 2024, Senator Jon Tester announced that a $6 million in funding was secured to begin construction of the eastward terminal expansion, funded by a FAA Airport Terminal Program grant included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed into law by President Joe Biden.

[12] The expansion plan includes four new gates, an expanded baggage claim area and a new rental car center.