Traveling out of the Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) in the next few weeks might be a really rough process for many fliers. According to a press release from BIL, a staffing shortage is causing many issues for travelers, especially at the ticket counter and TSA security. Officials are urging fliers to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before their flight just to ensure they don't miss it due to the delays.

Staff Shortage Comes Months After Opening of a New Concourse

Credit: Johnny Vincent, Townsquare Media
Credit: Johnny Vincent, Townsquare Media
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The new concourse at BIL didn't have the smoothest of openings in June, as they were in the middle of transitioning concourses when the first plane arrived, meaning they weren't prepared to receive all the passengers from the aircraft in the new concourse due to a lack of chairs. Luckily, after the snafu, everything went smoothly for the rest of the opening day.

However, this new staff issue seems to be unrelated to the concourse. This issue relates to ticket counter staff and members of the Transportation Security Administration who are having problems finding workers.

Expect Really Long Lines at BIL For The Foreseeable Future

According to Kevin Ploehn, Director of Aviation and Transit at BIL, this issue will get worse as soon as next week.

The mornings could get worse in October when some of the airline schedules change, condensing the window for getting passengers processed.  It is just a challenging time for hiring and we expect this situation to continue right into the holidays, so arriving early is the best way to avoid any issues.

- Kevin Ploehn, Director of Aviation and Transit, Billings Logan International Airport

BIL advises travelers to arrive at least 2 hours early in order to make it entirely through security. Any earlier, and you risk missing your flight.

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Mark Wilson talked about what he recommends to avoid the lines at Billings Logan International. Check out his thoughts by reading his article here. And, travel safely this Fall and upcoming holiday season.

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