Peoria Station

Morning airline operations at Peoria Int'l Airport on May 25, 2026 Evening airline operations at Peoria Int'l Airport on May 25, 2026 It is time for my annual update on local airline service.  As usual, I use the month of July for my annaul analysis. Barring last minute changes, the schedules and route map below are accurate. So let us delve into the present situation.  ALLEGIANT AIR Like last year, schedules for July 2026 show most flights operated with Airbus A320 equipment. They do not discern between 177-seat A320s or brand-new 186-seat A320SEOs. Smaller A319s, configured for 156 seats, are used on Las Vegas and Orlando-Sanford routes. Brand new Boeing 737 Max 8-200 aircraft began appearing on St. Petersburg/Clearwater nonstops as early as February 2025 and are also used on some of the Orlando-Sanford nonstops. These new Boeing planes are equipped with 190 seats.  Compared to July 2025, the airline is offering four fewer weekly departures. The most significant change ...

I was in the area of the airport, saw an Allegiant Air A320 at the terminal and realized it was going to depart for Sarasota/Bradenton soon. Take offs on Runway 13 are always the best, even if lighting is not.  Flight 2987 left the gate at 1720 hours.  CAPTION: Allegiant Air A320-200 N197NV departs on Runway 13 at Peoria Int'l Airport late-afternoon Sunday, June 7, 2026. Destination is Sarasota/Bradenton, Florida (SRQ). - David P. Jordan

I searched and can't find a prior post on this, so I'll do one now.  I found a WGLT 89.1 FM web article on CIRA's 2025 performance. It was posted on February 13 .  Director Carl Olson told WGLT's Charlie Schlenker that his facility handled about 325,000 passengers last year. This is a slight decline from 2024 (329,648) and 2023 (334,888).  But at the time of Olson's interview, CIRA's future looked bright, and that recent airline service announcements pointed to growth. He cited strong load factores in the upper 80s and lower 90s, and hoped new service for the spring of 2026 - Allegiant Air to Phoenix-Mesa, a 3rd daily Atlanta frequency on Delta Connection and new service by United Express (four daily Chicago-O'Hare roundtrips) - would keep fares down.  Unfortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to cap Chicago-O'Hare flights from May 17 through October 23 this year will stunt CIRA's growth in 2026. It may grow, but not as much. ...

I caught a little action at Peoria Int'l Airport this evening. I arrived my spot with just seconds to spare for the Allegiant Air 737 MAX-8. The American Eagle retrojet returned, and I stayed awhile to record more action, including the MAX-8's departure. Judging by the passenger terminal parking lot, business is good at PIA! CAPTION: Five commercial airliner movements are shown at Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria Int'l Airport Monday evening, May 25, 2026.  -Allegiant Air Flt 2904, Boeing 737 MAX-8 from Orlando-Sanford -SkyWest Airlines (United Express) Flt 6047, CRJ200 from Chicago-O'Hare -Envoy Airlines (American Eagle) Flt 3740, Embraer 170 to Chicago-O'Hare -PSA Airlines (American Eagle) Flt 5340, CRJ900 to Dallas/Ft. Worth -Allegiant Air Flt 2920, Boeing 737 MAX-8 to Orlando-Sanford - David P. Jordan

As expected, Peoria International Airport set a new annual passenger record in 2025. At a news conference inside the passenger terminal this morning , Metropolitan Airport Authority director Gene Olson announced that 812,376 passenger were handled during the past year. The previous record was 689,416 passengers, which was set in 2019. The airport nearly broke its 2019 record with 687,601 passengers in 2024.  The actual record was broken the first eleven months of 2025 when 741,724 passengers had used the airport. This was the first time PIA had exceeded 700,000 passengers in a year. With December traffic at 70,672 - the highest ever for that month - the 800,000 mark was exceeded as well.  PIA benefitted from stable or declining fuel prices, airlines engaging in fierce competition for market share and sufficient pilots to handle the resulting growth. Allegiant Air's low-fare nonstops as well as increased capacity by American Eagle and United Express has attracted travelers not ...

A Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737-700 at Peoria Int'l Airport just after sunrise on June 4, 2013 prepares for departure to Washington, D.C. for an Honor Flight.  Allegiant Air announced January 11 that it will acquire Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines. The deal has already been approved by both airlines' boards of directors and is subject to review by regulators. The airlines expect approval in the last half of 2026.  Sun Country Airlines flies to numerous destinations from Minneapolis/St. Paul, including points in Canada, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. It has a fleet of Boeing 737-800s.  How might this acquisition affect Peoria and Central Illinois? Allegiant Air's joint venture proposal with Mexico's Viva Aerobus is going nowhere for now, but the Las Vegas-based carrier must see potential to offer expanded service to many international leisure destinations. The Allegiant Air-Viva Aerobus joint venture proposal was first announced in late-2...

Peoria International Airport handled 741,724 passengers through November of this year, breaking the 2019 all-time record of 689,416 with one month still to go.   An article posted online today by WEEK TV-25 notes that PIA has broken passenger records for 14 of the last 16 months.  This post will be expanded and updated later this evening.  UPDATE In November 2025, PIA handled 62,474 passengers, which was the 14th record for the past 16 months. December's tally need only be 58,276 to reach the 800,000 mark for the first time. So this year, not only did it break 700,000 for the first time, there is the possibilty that it will also break 800,000!  If it does not reach 800,000 for the full year, it will be very close, and this means that passenger traffic will be up some 14 percent over 2024.  Passenger traffic will continue to grow in 2026, but not at the pace seen in 2025. Why? Because PIA's 2025 gains aren't likely to be matched in 2025. United Express increased...

Bloomington-Normal is on a role. Radio station WGLT 89.1 FM is reporting that Delta Connection will resume a third daily nonstop to Atlanta on March 8, 2026. Online schedules show departures at 0600, 1200 and 1559 on that date. Flights are operated by Endeavor Air's 76-seat CRJ900s. The airport authority has been trying to persuade the carrier to restore the third frequency, dropped during the COVID-19 lockdown. Rivian Automotive's decision to resume work on its Stanton Springs, Georgia plant might be a factor in Delta Connection's decision to increase service, though the easing pilot shortage and softening fuel prices most certainly play into this decision. After Allegiant Air's twice-weekly nonstop service to Phoenix-Mesa, slated to start February 13, Delta Connection's increased Atlanta service is the second new air service announcement in a week. These announcements will increase service out of Central Illinois Regional Airport to 7 to 9 daily, depending on...

A look at Allegiant Air's schedules show that Bloomington-Normal's Central Illinois Regional Airport is getting Phoenix-Mesa nonstops on Mondays and Fridays beginning February 13, 2026. The new service out of CIRA apparently does not appear to cannabilize Peoria's existing service. Starting February 17, PIA gets Tuesday flights in addition to Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. And business over the upcoming holiday periods requires nonstops daily from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1 and also Dec. 17-Jan. 5! - David P. Jordan

I shot these scenes from shortly after 4:00pm to shortly after 5:00pm on Sunday afternoon. This is probably the busiest period of the day for the Peoria International Airport. United Express added a fifth daily Peoria to Chicago-O'Hare roundtrip on August 20 and re-arranged its schedule. Allegiant Air has reduced weekly departures from 28 to 18 this month due to seasonal demand, but should ramp up schedules late this year.  CAPTION: Six airliner operations at the Peoria Int'l Airport late-afternoon Sunday, August 24, 2025. All arrivals and departures used Runway 31. American Eagle Flight 5397 from Charlotte (CRJ900) United Express Flight 4411 to Chicago-O'Hare (CRJ550) United Express Flight 5874 from Chicago-O'Hare (CRJ200) Allegiant Air Flight 1097 to St. Petersburg FL (Airbus A-319) American Eagle Flight 5494 to Dallas/Ft. Worth (CRJ900) American Eagle Flight 5187 to Charlotte (CRJ900) - David P. Jordan 

I found 2024 passenger stats for Bloomington-Normal's Central Illinois Regional Airport! Radio station WGLT 89.1 FM posted a story May 27 with lots of good detail. Last year, CIRA recorded 165,701 enplanements and 163,947 deplanements for a total of 329,648. In 2023, these figures were 167,597 and 167,291, respectively, for a total of 334,888. So CIRA saw only a slight decline in traffic last year. One wonders, though, if continued commercial airline operations are sustainable. CIRA has never recovered after losing AirTran Airways in 2012. Southwest Airlines, which acquired AirTran, decided that CIRA did not fit into its plans. Capacity was cut and low-fare connections via an Atlanta hub ended.  What CIRA has going for it is Delta Connection nonstops to Atlanta, two roundtrips daily, on 76-seat CRJ900 equipment operated by SkyWest Airlines. This service draws travelers from through the Central Illinois region, including Peoria. Moline/Quad Cities is the only other Illinois facilit...

PIA is still on a role. WMBD Radio 1470 posted an article late this morning , detailing the great success Peoria International Airport has had in recent months. It handled 72,774 passengers in May 2025 and 78,892 in June. The latter is 20 percent higher than the same month in 2024! All airlines have added capacity - Allegiant Air by 10 percent, American Eagle by 20 and United Express by 67. Additional capacity and new service (Denver) reflects surging demand. Pricing is likely more reasonable, i. e. the airlines are not discouraging passengers from using small airports like PIA.  Director of Airports, Gene Olson, said the facility is attracting passengers from outside the Peoria region. I would interpret that as Bloomington-Normal, Champaign-Urbana, Decatur and Springfield metro areas. As scheduled commercial airline service at those cities is quite limited these days, Peoria is benefitting from travelers who will drive some distance, but avoid Chicago or St. Louis if they can....

It is time for my annual update on local airline service.  A summer month is best for this update. I used July for 2024's update, and I have every reason to do so again this year. Barring last minute changes, the schedules and route map below are accurate. So let us delve into the present situation.  ALLEGIANT AIR Like last year, schedules for July 2025 show most flights operated with Airbus A320 equipment. They do not discern between 177-seat A320s or brand-new 186-seat A320SEOs. Smaller A319s, configured for 156 seats, are now only used on some Las Vegas and Punta Gorda flights. Brand new Boeing 737 Max 8-200 aircraft began appearing on St. Petersburg/Clearwater nonstops as early as February 2025 and are now also used on Orlando-Sanford nonstops. These aircraft are equipped with 190 seats.  Seasonal nonstops to Destin/Fort Walton Beach and year-round nonstops to Phoenix-Mesa and Punta Gorda have gained one weekly roundtrip each as compared to last year. So there are now...

I checked United Airlines website this evening and noticed United Express (SkyWest Airlines) has increased service between Peoria and Chicago-O'Hare from three to four daily roundtrips. I assume this expansion was recent, perhaps this weekend.  I had feared the Denver service would mean reduction in Chicago-O'Hare service, but it seems the carrier has significantly increased capacity here.  Effective by Friday, American Eagle will be offering two daily roundtrips to Charlotte, three each to Chicago-O'Hare and Dallas/Ft. Worth, for a total of eight. United Express offers four daily roundtrips to Chicago-O'Hare and one to Denver, for a total of five. So the two regionals affiliated with "legacy" carriers now offer 13 daily roundtrips to four major hubs.  Allegiant Air offers anywhere from two to five turnarounds depending on the day of the week, linking Peoria with Las Vegas, Orlando-Sanford, Phoenix-Mesa, St. Petersburg/Clearwater and Punta Gorda year-round, De...

An Embraer 175 in the old colors on final approach to Chicago-O'Hare Intl Airport May 26, 2023 Central Illinois residents will soon be able to connect through Denver year-round. United Express will resume nonstop daily service between Peoria and Denver on March 30, 2025. The last time the carrier played this market was in early 2015.  This WEEK-TV News 25 article and video has good details. Departure to Denver will be at 0850. The return flight will arrive back here at 2050. The single-daily roundtrip will be operated on a 76-seat jet, most likely an Embraer 175 operated by SkyWest Airlines. A burning question is what will Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines do? The former offers seasonal service between Peoria and Denver on Mondays and Fridays. The airline is offering Saturday flights on December 21 and 28, and January 4 as well. Flights cater to the local market, and mostly budget-conscious leisure travelers. So United Express' daily service might have but a minor effect on ...

It is time for my annual update on local airline service.  A summer month is best for this update. I used July for 2023's update, and I have every reason to do so again this year. Barring last minute changes, the schedules and route map below are accurate. So let us delve into the present situation.  ALLEGIANT AIR Like last year, schedules for July 2024 show most flights operated with Airbus A320 equipment. They do not discern between 177-seat A320s or brand-new 186-seat A320SEOs. Smaller A319s, configured for 156 seats, are now only used on Las Vegas flights. Subsititutions happen and due to complexity with Allegiant Air schedules, the equipment shown below may be at times oversimplified.  Seasonal nonstops to Destin/Fort Walton Beach and year-round nonstops to Phoenix-Mesa have gained one weekly roundtrip each as compared to last year. So there are now 25 weekly departures this month versus 23 in July 2023.  Deliveries of 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft was to start in ...

I intended to do this on a Saturday earlier this month, but I either got to bed too late Friday or the forecast called for morning rain. I got to bed too late Friday, but did this anyway...   Since our local "newspaper of record" doesn't cover local commercial aviation anymore, someone needs to do so. (Apologies for my camera's motor noises...I'm looking for a replacement soon.) United Parcel Service has been having a Boeing 767-300 freighter stop at Peoria early Saturday morning enroute from Louisville to Rockford. It is likely they only stop here to drop off empty cargo containers for Caterpillar's Morton distribution center, explaining the short takeoff shown in the video. It is good to see a "widebody" like a 767 used here on a regular basis. UPS uses another "widebody"-type (an Airbus A-300) on on its weeknight and pre-dawn flights, but those are hard to catch in daylight unless in mid- to late-June or the planes are late. Occasionally...

It is time for my annual update on local airline service.  A summer month is best for this update. I used July in last year's update, and I have every reason to do so this year. Barring last minute changes, the schedules and route map below are accurate. So let's delve into the present situation.  ALLEGIANT AIR Like last year, schedules for July 2023 show most flights operated with Airbus A320 equipment. They do not discern between 177-seat A320s or brand-new 186-seat A320SEOs. Smaller A319s, configured for 156 seats, are used on Denver, Las Vegas and Nashville routes. Subsititutions do happen and due to complexity with Allegiant Air schedules, the equipment shown may be oversimplified in a few places.  FUTURE - Fuel shock following sanctions against Russia for its February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine quickly caused a steep increase in aviation fuel prices just as the last states were ending COVID restrictions. I predicted last summer that this fuel shock, reminiscent of...

Saturday, July 9, 2022, I caught the arriving UPS 767-300 freighter as well as Allegiant Air, Amerrican Eagle and United Express passenger flights at Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport.  I got mostly arrivals, as that day's departures on Runway 4 were difficult to capture (I missed getting all three Allegiant Air departures while I was in the area). I even got skunked with the UPS departure on Runway 31!  I also missed Saturday's American Eagle arrival from Dallas/Ft. Worth, called it quits and went back Sunday for it. The DFW arrival was late, so I got the Charlotte arrival first. - David P. Jordan

It is time for my annual update on local airline service.  A summer month is best for this update. I used July in last year's update, and I have every reason to do so this year. Barring last minute changes, the schedules and route map below are accurate. So let's delve into the present situation.  ALLEGIANT AIR Fort Lauderdale service resumed on December 15, 2021, giving PIA ten nonstop destinations on a single carrier. This new destination requires an update to last year's route history. Notably, Allegiant Air is operating all "normal" routes it ever started since it began flying here in 2004.  Las Vegas, NV - March 3, 2004 St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL - December 13, 2006 Phoenix-Mesa, AZ - October 27, 2007 Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, FL - June 28, 2012 Orlando (Sanford), FL - November 14, 2014 (See Note 1) Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, FL - May 24, 2017 Nashville, TN - June 4, 2020 Sarasota/Bradenton, FL - May 27, 2021 Denver, CO - May 28, 2021 Fort Lauderdale - December...