CIRA Shows 2018 Passenger Growth!



This past year was a good one for Bloomington-Normal's Central Illinois Regional Airport.

Passenger traffic in 2018 rose 9.1 percent, according to the airport statistics section on the airport's website. Total enplanements were 183,575 and deplanements were 180,907 for a total of 364,482. Compare that to the 333,932 passengers that it handled in 2017. Last year's numbers pale in comparison to this facility's all-time record of 579,265 in 2011, but any increase is a good sign. 

Airport officials credit strong loads on all carriers, particularly Allegiant Air and on its newest carrier, Frontier Airlines. The latter began tri-weekly Denver nonstops began September 24 and tri-weekly Orlando nonstops began October 2.

Passenger growth came despite Frontier's seasonal suspension of its Denver flights after November 17 (service resumes April 30) and the loss of Delta Connection nonstops to Minneapolis/St. Paul from November 26.

CIRA offers service on four carriers. Besides aforementioned service on Frontier Airlines, Allegiant Air schedules nonstops to St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Orlando-Sanford; American Eagle flies to Chicago-O'Hare and Dallas/Ft. Worth, Delta Connection provides links to Atlanta. 

- David P. Jordan

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