PIA - A History: Events of 1987

Happenings were frequent in 1987, so I'm sticking with analysis-by-year for now.

Those late-1986 mergers brought less competition and higher fares into 1987. As a consequence, scheduled flights and passenger traffic decreased. These were good times, however. Let's begin with a rundown of happenings by airline.

AMERICAN EAGLE (Simmons Airlines)
When 1987 began, this carrier offered six weekday roundtrips between Peoria and Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) and four Peoria-Springfield (SPI) tag-ons. The latter gained a fifth roundtrip on February 2. On March 1, American Eagle eliminated an O'Hare roundtrip, and reduced Springfield tag-ons to four until April 5. Scheduling five ORD-PIA-SPI roundtrips continued to be the norm through November.

Until October 1, American Eagle operated a 46-seat ATR-42 on a mid-afternoon turnaround from Chicago-O'Hare. Then on November 1, it resumed use of the French-built turboprop on late-morning turnaround from Chicago-O'Hare. All other flights were operated with 36-seat Shorts 360s.

On August 1, 1987, Simmons Airlines was acquired by AMR Eagle, a subsidiary of AMR Corporation and sister to American Airlines. 

CONTINENTAL EXPRESS (Britt Airways)

On February 1, 1987 Texas Air Corporation merged subsidiaries People Express and New York Air into Continental Airlines. At this time, Britt Airways began operating as a "Continental Express" carrier. That summer, the carrier began applying Continental colors to select aircraft, though these were deployed to that carrier's Houston hub.

Britt's changing route patterns were beginning to affect Peoria. September schedules show that Chicago-O'Hare service had been reduced from seven to five weekday roundtrips. Bloomington/Normal, Decatur and Springfield tag-ons together added four more. All were operated with FH-227s, but smaller Fairchild Metros handled weekend duties.

MIDWAY CONNECTION (Fischer Bros. Aviation)
After replacing defunct Chicago Air, Midstate Airlines provided Peoria passengers with connections to Midway Airlines' Chicago hub well into 1987. But change came mid-year when Midway Airlines acquired an Ohio commuter airline.

Fischer Bros. Aviation's history can be traced back to 1951. Originally called "Galion Commuter Service," the present name was adopted in 1963, and it became an Allegheny Commuter carrier in 1969. When that agreement ended in 1985, it became a Northwest Orient Airlink carrier. But in August 1986, Northwest acquired Republic Airlines and along with it, a much larger commuter partner, Simmons Airlines. Two fatal crashes involving Fischer Bros. Aviation's CASA C-212 Aviocars prompted Northwest to drop Fischer Bros. Aviation from its network.

The accident forced the carrier to suspend operations temporarily, but management knew it needed another partner if it was to survive. On May 27, 1987, Fischer Bros. Aviation was acquired by Midway Airlines and re-branded it as "Midway Connection." The carrier moved its headquarters to Springfield, Illinois and began feeding its new owner's Chicago-Midway hub on June 15, 1987 with a fleet of 19-seat Dornier 228 turboprops. Peoria was one of the airline's initial destinations with five weekday roundtrips and one Springfield tag-on.

The Peoria Journal Star reported the change on June 13 but also that Midstate Airlines intended to continue its own Midway flights, boasting of pressurized planes (Fairchild Metros) as an advantage over Midway Connection's' Dornier 228s.

I do not recall when Midstate exited the Peoria market but suspect it ended service on June 15 or shortly thereafter (Springfield service ended August 21). There was insufficient business at Peoria for both carriers offering multiple daily flights to Chicago Midway Airport. Lacking affiliation with a major carrier, Midstate Airlines suspended operations in 1989.

NORTHWEST AIRLINES
This Eagan, Minnesota-based airline had an all-jet fleet when it retired its last four-prop, Lockheed L-188 Electras in 1971. But when it absorbed Republic Airlines in 1986, it acquired a small fleet of twin-prop, 50-seat Convair 580s. These planes quickly replaced DC-9s on the Peoria-Detroit run.

On June 1, 1987, the airline added two roundtrips on a Peoria-Moline-Minneapolis/St. Paul routing using 100-seat DC-9-30s. Interestingly, the Peoria Journal Star reported the new service only on May 29! Daily, roundtrip flights linking Peoria with Minnesota's largest city had been absent for five years.

A significant reduction in service came September 9 when twice-daily DC-9-30 service to Minneapolis/St. Paul was downgraded to Convair 580s and Detroit service was reduced to two roundtrips. Interestingly, on October 1, DC-9-10 service to Minneapolis/St. Paul returned on an evening arrival (except Saturday) and morning departure (except Sunday). One Detroit-Peoria roundtrip gained a Moline tag-on in October, with both doing that in November.

TRANS WORLD AIRLINES/TW EXPRESS (Resort Air)
In February 1987, TWA added a Champaign-Peoria-St. Louis flight, providing a sixth weekday TWA DC-9 flight for the city. These frequencies remained through the rest of the year.

Trans World Express increased service from five to six weekday roundtrips on March 2. On April 5, one flight from St. Louis began stopping at Springfield. These frequencies remained through the rest of the year.

UNITED AIR LINES/UNITED EXPRESS (Air Wisconsin)
United Air Lines must have had a difficult time determing the best way to route its Peoria flights and what aircraft to use. January 1987 schedules show a 727-100 operating one roundtrip Peoria-Cedar Rapids-Denver flight and a 737-200 on a Denver-Moline-Peoria-Denver flight. Between February 1 and April 2, the latter was replaced with a 727-200 operating Peoria-St. Louis-Denver. Beginning April 3, both roundtrips were routed Peoria-Cedar Rapids-Denver on 727-100s.

The summer travel season required 727-200s on both roundtrips. In November, both roundtrips switched to a Peoria-Moline-Denver routing on 727-100s.

At the beginning of the year, United Express operated four Chicago O'Hare-Peoria-Springfield roundtrips, all on F-27s. On April 5, one of the Springfield tag-ons was dropped, and the airline ended service to the state capital on July 1. September schedules show four weekday roundtrips between Peoria and Chicago-O'Hare and one Peoria-Moline tag-on, all on F-27s.

THE REGIONAL AIRPORT STUDY
As Central Illinois' largest city and metro area, Peoria always dominated the region in most respects, including airline service. An emerging competitor for this status, however, lie 40 miles to the east.

Bloomington-Normal Airport (BMI) traced its history back to 1934. Both American Airlines and Chicago & Southern Air Lines held rights to stop there, but offered little service over the next 16 years. The situation changed when Ozark Air Lines included Bloomington on its new Moline-Indianapolis route, begun November 6, 1950. The airline suspended Bloomington service in April 1952 but resumed service there February 1, 1955 on a multi-stop route between Kansas City and Chicago (Midway). Flights began shifting to O'Hare in September 1961.

By the late-1960s, Ozark's service settled on a Chicago (O'Hare)-Bloomington-Mattoon-Mount Vernon-St. Louis routing with two flights in each direction on weekdays, one on weekends. The airline always used its smallest plane on this itinerary. In 1968, Douglas DC-3s were replaced by the larger and more modern FH-227 turboprop. A new terminal opened in 1971.

Like Peoria, Bloomington-Normal suffered when Ozark Air Lines' mechanics struck the carrier for 73 days in 1973. Also like Peoria, it gained a second carrier in 1977.

On August 1 that year, Britt Airways began Chicago (O'Hare) flights with Beech C-99s. Service to Indianapolis (via Champaign) began in 1979, but was dropped in 1980. When Ozark dump B-N from its route system in 1980, Britt offered its own St. Louis flights (via Springfield). The carrier added maintenance facilities and a reservations center at the local airfield in 1979 and 1981, respectively.

In mid-decade, Bloomington-Normal benefitted from low fuel prices and rapid airline expansion, quickly adding two more carriers. Ozark Midwest Airlines began St. Louis commuter flights on December 15, 1985 and Trans World Express added the city on June 1, 1986. The TWA-Ozark merger that fall reduced the number of carriers back to two. It was in this environment that Mike LaPier assumed the role of Bloomington-Normal Airport director on August 1, 1987.

LaPier was a visionary and saw that his facility had much potential. Shortly before his appointment, mayors of Bloomington, Decatur, Normal and Springfield pledged up to $250,000 for a regional airport feasibility study. Eventually, Peoria, Peoria Heights and Bartonville mayors were invited to join as was a representative from Champaign-Urbana. When the Greater Peoria Airport Authority learned of this, it threatened a lawsuit unless the study committee was made up of airport officials.

Some also suspected the study was a ploy by Bloomington's mayor to get his airport relocated. Peoria Journal Star columnist Rick Baker wrote in his December 23, 1987 column, "Avoid Slithering Yawnburg," that BMI officials supposedly asked the federal government for permission to build a new and bigger airport, but were rejected due to proximity to PIA. Bloomington, Baker suggested, had tried to lure one or two major airlines away from Peoria. Obviously, the study created much tension in the region.

In the late 1980s, BMI still lacked facilities and service to rival PIA, but changes were on the horizon.  In fact, Midway Connection began five weekday Chicago Midway roundtrips on October 15, 1987. A new, north-south 6,400' runway had already won FAA approval. Nearly a decade would pass before its completion, however.

AIRPORT EXPANSION
Meanwhile, PIA initiated significant expansion projects. Extension of Runway 4-22 to the southwest required relocation of Smithville Road. Grading started in the spring. Site preparation began on the new, $60 million Air National Guard base planned for southwest quadrant. A $350,000 radar unit was slated for completion in November. Plans were reviewed for a new cargo center in the southeast quadrant with space for three 727-sized aircraft.

EDITORIAL SILLINESS, FILLER, ETC.
Good airport trends generate unrealistic ideas by those with little or no understanding of the business. A March 18, 1987 Peoria Journal Star editorial asked regarding Chicago-O'Hare congestion, "Wouldn't it make more sense to route some of the traffic through airport's like Peoria's?" The Greater Peoria Airport could serve as a mini-hub to relieve O'Hare congestion, it suggested.

An article run on the same date quotes PIA's assistant director claiming his facility could become a hub without laying an inch of concrete! The writer discussed this topic with a Piedmont Airlines officials, concluding that nothing prevented it from establishing a hub in a city like Peoria. Wishful thinking to the 100th power.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
On January 20, the Peoria Journal Star reported that Viza Airlines had plans to begin Midway flights in the spring. The airline was never mentioned again.

In mid-February, the Greater Peoria Airport Authority viewed plans for development of a large cargo center in the airport's southeast quadrant. It consisted of three, U-shaped buildings, each capable of accommodating 21 Boeing 727-sized aircraft.

American Trans Air ads show charter flights departing for Las Vegas on April 5 and May 29, to London, England on May 26 and July 6, and Honolulu on October 20. Both Honolulu and London flights used Lockheed L-1011 TriStar widebody jets. Las Vegas flights may have been flown with 727-200s.

Aviation pioneer DeWitt Collins died April 15 at age 85. He served as airport director from 1948 to 1966.

On May 16, an TWA DC-9 still wearing Ozark Air Lines colors was forced to return to Peoria after reporting engine trouble. (I may have seen the plane circle over my home. I was shocked to see a DC-9 still wearing Ozark green and white several months after being absorbed by TWA.)

In June, the GPAA revived the idea of a Chicago-Kansas City toll road, believing it would help lure a major air cargo hub operation. Such a road was originally proposed in early 1967.

An air show held August 8-9, attracted 50,000 spectators. The U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed both days. The show would be the last one sponsored by the 182nd ANG.

On August 15, the Peoria Journal Star reported interest in Peoria as a cargo hub by a carrier using DC-8s and DC-9s. This detail suggests Airborne Express briefly considered PIA as a mini-hub.

The local ANG base celebrated its 40th anniversary on September 12.

An airport master plan shown in the Peoria Journal Star's September 20 issue detailed plans for terminal expansion, runway extensions and an additional runway to support a possible cargo hub center in the northwest quadrant.

CF Air Freight, a subsidiary of trucking company Consolidated Freightways, apparently began using Shorts Skyvans on nightly turnarounds from its new Indianapolis hub, though it appears the carrier had actually begun serving Peoria in 1985. At the end of October, Flying Tiger Line began operating 727s here from its new (1986) hub at Rickenbacker Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

A U. S. Air Force C-5 Galaxy stopped at PIA on December 1 to load a fire truck for Puerto Rico.

In mid-December, GPAA announced plans for a new entrance road, providing better access from I-474.

SCHEDULES, ROUTE MAP
Higher fares are the likely reason for a decline in passengers to 420,888 during 1987. Nevertheless, the number of weekday departures remained high at 48, though 11 of these were tag-ons. Service to six hubs - Chicago-O'Hare, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul and St. Louis  - represented the best service since the early 1980s.

American Eagle - 5 to ORD, 5 to SPI (10)
Continental Express -  2 to BMI, 4 to ORD, 1 to DEC, 1 to SPI & ORD (8)
Midway Connection - 5 to MDW, 1 to SPI (6)
Northwest Airlines - 3 to DTW, 2 to MLI & MSP (5)
Trans World Airlines - 1 to CMI, 5 to STL (6)
Trans World Express - 6 to STL (6)
United Air Lines - 2 to CID & DEN (2)
United Express - 4 to ORD, 1 to MLI (5)

- David P. Jordan