Peoria Station

Although events of 2020 were sad (and arguably unnecessary), I decided to do my annual analysis of airline service at the Peoria International Airport.  Normally, I pick June or July for this annual post. With the year nearly concluded, I decided that the week of December 13-19 was best for this analysis. There were even a few surprises, mostly related to the expected surge in holiday traffic. Changes by each carrier serving Peoria in 2020 are detailed below.   ALLEGIANT AIR In mid-January, this Las Vegas-based carrier announced seasonal, twice-weekly nonstops to Nashville, Tennessee would start June 4. Given subsequent events, it is surprising Allegiant Air went ahead and started the new route!  Load factors must have been more than satisfactory. Service was slated to end in November, but it apparently got extended into December.  Recently, the season was extended yet again from December 19 through January 2. I couldn't find schedules for December 19, so I'm unsure if the flig

  Delta Connection's suspension of service to Peoria is officially "permanent."  WMBD TV-31 posted the news on its website this morning. In May, the airline petitioned the Department of Transportation to temporarily suspend service. This was a requirement after receiving aid through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The suspension took effect July 6, per comment by the adminstrator of the airport's Facebook page. Service had been cut to a single Peoria-Atlanta roundtrip on weekdays. Airline traffic at Peoria Int'l Airport dropped 96 percent in April. The sting of this loss is especially aggravating given the record tally for 2019 (689,416 passengers) and record numbers in both January and February 2020. Although I haven't yet found numbers for this year, it has been reported that traffic in 2020 hasn't been this slow since 1973 (the year an Ozark Air Lines strike suspended all passenger flights for 77 days. Less than 250,000

I usually detail local commercial aviation happenings mid-year. But this year's happenings were too sad. Virus hype and self-inflicted economic destruction have devastated Peoria Int'l Airport's airline service and passenger numbers. And yet, there is some good news.  The Peoria Journal Star reported Monday that Allegiant Air is extending its Peoria-Nashville route beyond November. Flights operating Wednesdays and Saturdays will now also operate from December 19 to January 2. Airport officials hope service will return in the spring or summer.   - David P. Jordan