BILLINGS — The Billings airport welcomed its one millionth traveler in a single year with a celebration on Monday as it reached that milestone for the first time.
Airport Director Jeff Roach said it's a massive step forward and represents years of hard work paying off.
Watch this video to see the celebration:
“We’re very excited about hitting this specific milestone,” Roach said Monday afternoon. “It gets the word out that we are a growing, vibrant airport."
The accomplishment comes on the heels of major renovations, numerous added flights, and upgraded restaurants. Roach said it's a sign that the hard work is making a difference.
"All that together has helped us continue to expand the opportunities for our traveling public," Roach said.
Billings resident Oliver Lebot was lucky number 1 million, who received a plaque and a gift bag when he got off his plane.
"I wasn’t expecting it," Lebot said. "Little bit of a shock, and I’m a pretty shy person, so this is all new to me."
Lebot added that he was excited to see the airport gain in popularity, as his experiences there have always been positive.
“I mean, it’s easy. It’s smooth," Lebot said. "It’s nice to be able to come through security in a few minutes. It’s a lot more friendly. It kind of feels like a home a little bit."
Roach said he was thrilled by Lebot's compliments, noting that years of work have gone into enhancing the travel experience.
This year, the biggest flight additions include two different daily Chicago flights and a seasonal flight to Seattle that was added in the summer.
"We've added about 60,000 additional seats to our market this year," Roach said. "We definitely try to encourage new opportunities so that our community and our region sees additional flight opportunities."
Roach said that the Billings airport still sits significantly behind Bozeman in total airport traffic, and is currently neck and neck with Kalispell and Missoula. That's why his push for more options will continue.
Lebot said he'd be appreciative of any new options.
"That would be amazing," Lebot said. "The more options to get out of Billings to other destinations would be great."
