Airline worker shortage throws wrench into Montana travel surge

Nowhere is the surge in tourism as evident as the Missoula Montana Airport, where an influx of passengers are experiencing longer wait times due to airline worker shortages.

WITH EACH AND EVERYFLIGHT LANDING INMISSOULA, THE AIRPORT ISGETTING CLOSER TO PRE-PANDEMIC PASSENGERNUMBERS.BUT WITH THIS FLOOD OFTRAVELERS AND NOWADDITIONAL FLIGHTS TOACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THEM,MANY ARE WONDERING IFTHE AIRPORT CAN KEEP UP.MTN'S MEGANMANNERING SAT DOWNWITH THE AIRPORT DIRECTORWHO SAYS THE NUMBERSARE CLIMBING.TOURIST SEASON IS HERE,AND IT'S EASY TO SPOT.YOU SEE IT ON LICENSEPLATES...YOU SEE IT INTHE LONG WAIT AT YOURFAVORITE RESTAURANT...THEOUTRAGEOUS COST OF ARENTAL CAR.BUT NOWHERE IS THESURGE IN TOURISM ASEVIDENT AS THE MISSOULAINTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.ELLESTAD / WE JUSTGOT OUR JUNE NUMBERS,WE'RE NOT QUITE AT 2019NUMBERS YET, WE'RE AT95%, BUT I EXPECT JULYWILL MEET OR EXCEED2019.THE SECRET IS OUT ONMONTANA, BECAUSE OFTHIS, AIRLINE ROUTEPLANNERS HAVE BOOSTEDTHEIR TRAFFIC IN AND OUT OFTHE STATE.ELLESTAD / WE'REVERY CALIFORNIA HEAVY,AND THEN A LOT OF LARGERAIRCRAFTS GOING TO THESAMEDESTINATIONS..DALLAS ISA LARGER AIRCRAFT,MINNEAPOLIS IS A LARGERAIRCRAFT, SO A LOT MORESEATS TO MANY MOREDESTINATIONS.WHILE TRAVELERS AREREADY TO HOP ON A PLANEAND GO, IT'S THE AIRLINESWHO MAY BE SLOWINGTHINGS DOWN.ELLESTAD / SOMETENANTS ARE DOING GREAT,AND SOME ARE REALLYLAGGING BEHIND.

UNITEDAND DELTA ARE STRUGGLINGTO FIND WORKERS, THEY'REVERY SHORT STAFFED, SOTHEY'RE TAKING DELAYS.WE ARE JUMPING INBEHIND THE SCENES TOHELP OUT WHERE WE CAN,BUT WE'RE NOT TRAINED ONTHEIR AIRCRAFTS, SO WHENA PLANE HAS TO HOLD FOR AGATE, THERE MIGHT BE AGATE AVAILABLE FOR THEMTO PARK, BUT THEY DON'THAVE ENOUGH WORKERS TOGO PARK A SECONDAIRPLANE THAT MIGHT BEON THE GROUND, SO IT'SVERY FRUSTRATING FOR THEPASSENGERS AND FOR US.STANDUP / IF YOU'VEFLOWN THIS SUMMER, YOUKNOW THAT EVERYTHINGFROM BOARDING TOBAGGAGE CLAIM CAN TAKEA LITTLE LONGER THAN USUAL.GO AHEAD AND BLAME ITON THE POST-PANDEMICTRAVEL CRAZE, BUTWHATEVER YOU DO, TRY TOHAVE SOME PATIENCE.ELLESTAD / THEWORKERS THAT ARE HEREFOR UNITED AND DELTA AREWORKING HARD.

THEY'REJUST SHORT STAFFED, THEY'REOVERWHELMED..SO IFYOU CAN MAKE THEIR DAYEASIER BY GETTING HEREEARLIER, YOU'LL HAVE ABETTER TRIP.IN MISSOULA, MEGANMANNERING, MTN NEWS.IN MAKING AIR TRAVELEVEN EASIER FORMONTANANS AND THOSEVISITING, THE MISSOULAAIRPORT IS IN THE THICK OFITS PHASE 1 CONSTRUCTIONPROJECT ON A NTERMINAL.HEAD TO KPAX.COM TOLEARN HOW THAT PROJECT'SCOMING ALONG.IN MAKING AIR TRAVELEVEN EASIER FORMONTANANS AND THOSEVISITING, THE MISSOULAAIRPORT IS IN THE THICK OFITS PHASE 1 CONSTRUCTIONPROJECT ON A NEWTERMINAL.COVERAGE