Champaign/Urbana Loses United but Gets Charlotte!




Champaign/Urbana's Willard Airport gets bad news and good news. 

United Express will end its three daily roundtrips between Willard and Chicago-O'Hare on September 5, citing a pilot shortage. Service began June 8, 2017 and gave the facility a surge in passenger traffic.

In 2017, Willard saw a 12 percent rise in traffic with a total of 104,596 passengers thanks to United Express' mid-year addition of 150 daily seats in each direction. The last time the facility handled 100,000 travelers was in 2007.

The good news is that American Eagle, Willard's only other carrier, is offering a single daily nonstop to American Airlines' Charlotte hub beginning December 19.

I'm sure Bloomington/Normal would have preferred to get Charlotte service (and might still) over Champaign/Urbana, but at least they can bask in the glow of Frontier Airlines' resumption of service this fall. 



- David P. Jordan

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