Article by Aly Eggart, MSPR, CATP, Leisure Marketing Director for Visit Billings
managed by the Billings Chamber, and Kelsi Gambill, MSPR, PR & Communications Manager for Billings Chamber
We have all heard the question, “Why does Bozeman have more flights than Billings? Why don’t we have this airline or that airline? Why is this flight only seasonal?” It’s easy to think that air service just happens, but there is an active group of people in Billings working hard every day to ensure Billings has strong air service capacity, and it doesn’t happen overnight.
The Billings Air Service Committee (ASC) is comprised of leadership from Visit Billings, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Big Sky Economic Development, and the City of Billings, along with businesses and community leaders who are dedicated to supporting Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) in efforts to increase air service to the Billings and southeast Montana Region.
The Billings Chamber of Commerce has worked with the city on air service since the airport opened
in 1928. Moving people and freight is a key aspect of the Chamber’s priorities, which is why we are
the catalyst for air service in Billings and why we started a standing air service development committee in 2006.
The importance of collaboration cannot be understated when it comes to increasing air service to Billings. Jeff Roach, Director of Aviation and Transit, along with Mead and Hunt, the Air Service Development consultants hired by the City of Billings, work hand in hand with the ASC to ensure Billings presents a united front when working with airlines. This includes multiple airline headquarters visits, attending conferences to speed date and build relationships with airlines, and communicating regularly with network planners and decision makers. These are all important factors in the overall air service expansion strategy to secure new direct service along with increasing frequency and growth of number of seats to and from BIL.
During the headquarters visits and conference meetings, the Billings team gives each airline a presentation on our city, including why increased air service is needed and important, how the community supports air service, and educating them on our industries. Due to the efforts of these organizations, BIL has seen an uptick in good news to share with the community. The ASC has recently launched an e-newsletter to help ensure this information is shared regularly.
SOME OF THE EXCITING NEWS WE HAVE SEEN IN
RECENT MONTHS INCLUDES:
- BIL has announced the addition of a new airline to begin service in June of this year. News of Sun Country Airlines adding service from Minneapolis came on the heels of a visit to their headquarters in Minneapolis in September 2023.
- United Airlines has announced the expansion of their daily, direct service from BIL to Denver from 3x daily to 5x daily.
- Delta announced that they are increasing seats on their flights to and from Minneapolis beginning in May.
- Allegiant Airlines announced the addition of a seasonal, nonstop flight to Los Angeles beginning May 2024, an increase in flights from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway, and increased service to Las Vegas through the fall of 2024.
- Alaska Airlines has extended its Portland service from seasonal to daily, direct, year-round service.
- Southwest Airlines opened the doors to future service during the first community meeting held in Dallas.
- The BIL airport unveiled renovation updates as it nears the end of its $55 million project, including the addition of concourses and gates.
- Billings was selected to host the Montana Air Service Rendezvous in August. The event will host major airlines in addition to all of Montana’s major airports to meet and do business in Billings.
- In 2022, BIL ranked 63rd out of over 400 airports nationwide for air cargo.
- There are 1.6 million available airline seats departing BIL compared to 1.2 million one year ago.
The ASC also played an integral role in the Small Community Air Service Development Grant (SCASD) awarded to Billings this past fall. The SCASD grant process takes research and input from various organizations and a financial commitment of $750,000 for the matching funds. This award will allow our community the tool of a seat guarantee to help secure a direct, daily, year-round flight to SFO or LAX. Connecting to California year-round will help fill a large gap in BIL connectivity. The community raises the matching funds and the Billings Tourism Business Improvement District (BTBID is the primary funding source for Visit Billings) were the first to the table with a donation of $375,000.
Billings is the hub for business, finance, healthcare, and energy as the largest city in Montana; with increasing business mobility, people need the ability to travel with options. As a champion for
business and quality of life in Billings, the Billings Chamber looks forward to the opportunities that new and expanded flight services will bring to our city, not to mention the additional connectivity options that will result.
For Billings to continue to compete as a tourism destination, airservice expansion will be a high priority for Visit Billings. Travelers have a choice when selecting their destinations, whether for business, leisure, or sports. Consistent air capacity and reasonable fares are important factors in the decision-making process. Visit Billings is proud to support the Billings Air Service Committee.
The more we choose to fly BIL versus other regional airports, the more likely local airfares will drop, and we will see new airlines and direct service in Billings. We encourage you to fly local by flying BIL.
This article originally published in the Summer 2024 Edition of LiNK, powered by Simply Local.
