Peoria Station

By 1995, it was clear that PIA's passenger business was in recession. One would expect a downward trend during an economic recession, but at this time both the local and national economy were booming. High fares, loss of major carriers and the false perception created by the local media that PIA had lost all jet service were primary contributors to the decline. Understanding the times is vital. Let's start with a rundown of local air service happenings in 1995 and 1996. AMERICAN EAGLE (Flagship Airlines/Simmons Airlines) When a sufficient number of Flagship Airlines Saab 340 turboprops were made available and their crews finished training for winter weather operations, Chicago-O'Hare service resumed Janauary 4, 1995. Initially, there were six daily roundtrips. The FAA's December 9, 1994 order to ground ATR-42s apparently ended permanently the Peoria-Burlington (Iowa) tag-on that was operated daily for several years. Simmons returned its ATR-42 fleet to five of s...

Peoria Int'l Airport posted a record passenger tally in March. According to this press release , PIA handled 64,649 passengers last month. This figure is 3.3 percent higher that in March 2018 when 62,645 passengers were handled.  Last month's figure is not an all-time record - that belongs to June 2018 when 64,784 passengers were handled - but it is quite impressive. Airport Director Gene Olson credits his facility's "Fly Local, Go Global" message for rising traffic.  Business should continue to grow in 2019. Recent highlights include American Eagle upgauging to larger jets (CRJ700s) on its Charlotte nonstops in February and United Express increasing Chicago-O'Hare service to five daily roundtrips in March. Allegiant Air resumes seasonal Destin/Ft. Walton Beach nonstops on May 15.  - David P. Jordan

Time for more Transportation Q & A! Feel free to post your questions in the comments section on any transportation topic. If I don't have an answer, I'll find one. For those interested, I am working on the next "PIA - A History" post. It will cover both 1995 and 1996. - David P. Jordan

After sustaining massive losses in 1990-1992, some airlines were forced to implement drastic cost-saving measures and become more efficient. Peoria generally held its own during the early 1990s downturn, but suffered in its aftermath. Here's a rundown of events by air carrier. AMERICAN AIRLINES/AMERICAN EAGLE (Flagship Airlines/Simmons Airlines) Both Peoria and Springfield had gained a second American Airlines roundtrip in May 1992. Springfield glimpsed an ominous future in November when the airline announced that it would halve its Springfield service on January 4, 1993. Nevertheless, PIA officials were hopeful that AA would soon add more jet flights. They had reason for optimism. In January 1993, American Airlines requested the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) increase the number of commuter slots available to jet aircraft with up to 110 seats from 70 to 140 and make the change permanent. A two-year, temporary rule allowing the jets to use 70 commuter slots was set t...

Time for more Transportation Q & A! Feel free to post your questions in the comments section on any transportation topic. If I don't have an answer, I'll find one. I am still working on the next "PIA - A History" post. It will cover both 1993 and 1994. - David P. Jordan

Peoria Int'l Airport had its best February ever! Last month, 49,094 passengers passed through the terminal building. The previous February record was 47,385 passengers in 2017.  The airport has also notified travelers that the parking lot is full, and that passengers who leave their cars there are being directed to the overflow lot. Parking spaces now total 3,300 and will probably have to be increased if traffic continues to grow. The trend so far this year is encouraging, so hopefully PIA will break another record in 2019.  Both the airport website and Peoria's newspaper of record are reporting this story.  - David P. Jordan 

Historical accounts tend to diminish in detail as they approach the present. I won't allow that for this series. Peoria's commercial aviation history is filled with interesting changes from beginning to end. I will cover all that I am aware.  I won't be able to rely as much on newspaper accounts, however. I've been using online resources since July 15, 1991 but this is a time-consuming process. Newspaper clippings, which I've saved over the years, will come in handy when I don't feel like searching for specific events.  The next post in this series will depart from the single year theme, and will likely cover both 1993 and 1994. - David P. Jordan