Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, the state’s busiest, currently operates as a high-activity federal contract tower
By Micah Drew DAILY MONTANAN
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport is one of the first two airports selected in a new pilot program to transition its control tower to a Federal Aviation Administration-owned tower.
The FAA pilot program is intended to transition select “high-activity federal contract towers,” which are staffed by private-sector employees operating under FAA safety standards, to towers owned and operated by the FAA.
“We are very excited to have been selected as a candidate for the pilot program because it will potentially bring our capabilities and staffing levels commensurate with the traffic levels we now see at BZN,” said Bozeman airport president and CEO Brian Sprenger. “Twenty-seven years ago, BZN first became a towered airport through the FAA’s contract tower program. The program worked well to establish air traffic control at BZN at a time when our air traffic was still developing. Since that time, our tower operations and passenger numbers have grown significantly making BZN a much more prominent part of the national air space.”
Sprenger said in an email to the Daily Montanan that over the last three decades, Bozeman’s traffic has outgrown many federally-operated towers, including those in Billings, Great Falls and Helena.
“Unfortunately, the FAA did not have a mechanism to transition facilities from Contract Tower operation to Federal operation until the Pilot program was initiated in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act with the assistance of our Congressional delegation,” he said.
Daines, Sen. Tim Sheehy, and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke earlier this year sent a letter to the FAA urging the inclusion of Bozeman’s airport in the initial phase of the pilot program.
“Today’s announcement is great news for the Treasure State,” Montana U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said in a statement. “Including the Bozeman airport in the new tower conversion pilot program will help improve the safety and efficiency of operations, making travel easier for both Montana residents and all those coming to visit our great state.”
Bozeman is one of the nation’s busiest federal contract towers, the letter stated, welcoming a record 2.8 million passengers in 2025.
“As BZN’s air traffic continues to grow, insufficient and inconsistent staffing levels at their contract tower threatens aviation safety,” the letter stated.
The pilot program was authorized under the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, and will assess the feasibility, benefits, and challenges associated with converting high-activity towers to FAA staffing and management. Having towers under direct FAA oversight will “standardize training and strengthen the controller workforce pipeline while preserving safety in complex airspace,” according to a press release.
In addition to Bozeman Bozeman, Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona was selected as an initial pilot facility.
According to an FAA press release, it is estimated it will take 29 to 44 months to successfully complete the pilot program. Findings from the pilot program will help inform future decisions about expanding the effort. Within six months of operational transition for candidate towers that successfully complete the pilot program, the FAA will complete a congressionally mandated Safety Analysis Report, outlining findings and insights from the conversion process.
“This is another step the Trump Administration is taking to add qualified air traffic controllers to our workforce and ensure the safety and efficiency of our National Airspace System,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “As air traffic demand continues to grow, this program will help ensure the FAA has the experienced workforce needed to manage complex operations at these towers.”
