Peoria Station

Peoria Int'l Airport handled 689,416 passengers in 2019.  That number that beats 2018's 672,594 passengers, which itself was a record. So traffic grew 2.5 percent in 2019. More details can be found in the airport's press release here . December's 56,328 passenger tally was itself the year's eighth monthly record.  More good news is that Republic Airways dba United Express is introducing larger planes in the Peoria to Chicago-O'Hare market beginning with an evening arrival at 6:56 on Thursday, February 13 and 5:45 morning departure on Friday, February 14. An Embraer 170 equipped with 70 seats will supplement four other roundtrips operated by Trans States Airlines (one using an Embraer 145) and Air Wisconsin (three using Canadair RJ200s). The larger equipment will be here for at least a couple of months, according to this Peoria Journal Star story . If business is sufficient, then use of the Embraer 170 will continue.  - David P. Jordan

Allegiant Air will begin Peoria-Nashville flights beginning June 4.  That's according to this WEEK TV-25 article posted today. Previously, Ozark Air Lines offered same-plane service in both directions in 1980-1982 and American Eagle offered nonstop service in 1991-1995. Look here for more details as they become available. UPDATE: Flights will be offered on Thursdays and Sundays into November. On both days, they will arrive Peoria from Nashville at 9:13pm and depart for Nashville at 9:58pm. UPDATE 2 (Jan. 18):  The Peoria Journal Star article dated January 15 provides us with some interesting information. First, the airport authority first discussed Nashville service with Allegiant Air two years ago. Second, the airport estimates it handled a record 679,000 passengers in 2019. That's only slight above 2018's 672,594 passengers. Final numbers should be announced soon.  - David P. Jordan

Peoria Int'l Airport will break another passenger record in 2019, but not reach the 700,000 mark.  That's the conclusion I make based on a December 31 Facebook post . In it, we learn the airport handled 633,088 passengers through November. December figures aren't tallied, but it seems unlikely they'll exceed 66,912 passengers, which is required to reach the 700,000 mark. No doubt it will be close, probably at least 50,000 passengers, so I expect PIA to handle somewhere between 685,000 and 690,000 passengers in 2019. Not the 700,000 milestone, but a record nonetheless. - David P. Jordan