Traveling to Billings: Enhance, Expand, and Improve

Thirty years after its last remodel, the Billings Logan International Airport decided it was time for an airport terminal concourse expansion. They hired Morrison-Maierle for full engineering services on the project.

The airport had several main goals for the update and expansion:

Improve passenger flow and fix accessibility and usage challenges. The original layout was cramped, had low ceilings, and had poor visibility for passengers traveling through the airport. Because of the high volume of elderly travelers accessing medical services in Billings, it was extra important for the airport to provide an easy-to-navigate experience for passengers.

After getting through TSA, many passengers felt like they had to camp in the holding room to see when their plane was boarding. The new layout allows passengers to use the airport’s amenities while keeping their gates in sight.

Expand the space to accommodate for increased growth (and future growth). We enlarged the hold rooms and increased the number of boarding bridges from five to eight gates, freeing up space for new airlines to enter the airport. The renovated and expanded TSA checkpoint reduced wait times and streamlined passenger flow.

Enhance the overall passenger experience, including adding additional dining and retail spaces. The expansion added a new gift shop, restaurant, and bar area with an aesthetic viewing space. This is a vast improvement over the airport’s limited grab-and-go options. The addition includes a great room with 22-foot or higher ceilings, a large fireplace, and panoramic windows with a view north of the airport.

The bathrooms also received a significant makeover. After overwhelmingly positive feedback from the bathroom renovations on the B concourse in 2015, we wanted to take a similar approach during the terminal expansion. We removed the old facilities and added 30 family bathrooms with a sink, toilet, room for luggage, and baby changing stations in one room. The men’s restrooms contain both family stalls and a row of urinals.