Peoria Station

Peoria Int'l Airport has been awarded $500,000 for assistance in regaining a link to a western connecting hub. The grant, announced Friday, is part of the Small Community Air Service Development program (SCASD). Funds are used to offset financial losses by the airline providing service. In many instances, funds aren't needed. The Airport Authority prefers Denver, Houston, Phoenix or Salt Lake City. Denver and Houston are hubs for United Airlines, Phoenix is a hub for American Airlines and Salt Lake City is a hub for Delta Airlines.  It is difficult to imagine that American Airlines would offer Peoria-Phoenix nonstops when passengers can make good connections through Dallas/Ft. Worth. Houston was already tried and didn't work out due to load factors. I don't see Delta Airlines being interested in Peoria-Salt Lake City nonstops.  Both American Airlines and United Airlines provided letters of support. So if Houston, Phoenix and Salt Lake City are out, then Denver is likel...

In 2002, the Greater Peoria Regional Airport regained its status as Central Illinois' busiest air passenger facility. That was the good news, but the storm clouds of uncertainty, continuing security concerns and turmoil in the airline industry continued to plague the outlook for local airline service. Let's review airline service changes which occurred that year.  AMERICAN CONNECTION (Trans States Airlines) At the start of 2002, this carrier offered seven weekday departures to St. Louis. Traffic was recovering post-9/11, so it resumed an eighth on January 8. April schedules show a ninth had been added, though newspaper coverage in late-June indicates service had been reduced to seven again. Frequency was brought back up to nine roundtrips on September 4. These flights operated with a mix of 68-seat ATR-72, 48-seat ATR-42 and 29-seat Jetstream 41 turboprops.  AMERICAN EAGLE (American Eagle Airlines) When 2002 began, weekday departures to Chicago-O'Hare totaled four. Passenge...

While most media outlets from coast to coast report their local airports' passenger figures by mid- to-late January, The Pantagraph waited until March 27  to report CIRA's figures, which was 333,932.  Last year's tally represented the lowest figure since 1997 when 281,942 passengers used Central Illinois Regional Airport's terminal facilities. Traffic was down 12 percent from 2016's tally of 381,109 passengers.  A 12 percent decline may be embarrassing, but such figures need to be reported without delay. News is news, good or bad. The reasons given are predictable, and one is simply bogus. A combination of airline mergers and a slowdown in local business travel continue to drive passengers away from the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington as officials look for ways to reverse the disappointing trend. Airline mergers? Southwest Airlines acquired AirTran Airways in May 2011 and withdrew from Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA) in ...

(Originally posted on peoriastation.com March 26, 2017) The last post in this series on PIA (Peoria Int'l Airport) covered the 1958-1960 period, detailing the new terminal which opened in May 1959. Airline schedules from the Official Airline Guide, January 1960 edition, were included. I’ll now analyze 1960-1964. The new terminal brought optimism that the 1960s would bring larger aircraft and more flights. Indeed, the Peoria Journal Star reported on May 13, 1959 that American Airlines might replace its 40-seat Convair 240s with 70-seat DC-6s and eventually the new turboprop Lockheed Electra. Likewise, Trans World Airlines intended to phase out its 40-seat Martin 404s in favor of 81-seat Lockheed Constellations. This optimism shattered when Trans World Airlines announced on January 13, 1960 plans to drop Peoria from its network. Then American Airlines made a similar announcement March 9 that year. As a courtesy to TWA’s 13 years of service, Peoria industry did not oppos...

(Originally posted on peoriastation.com on February 1, 2017) When the Greater Peoria Airport tallied 94,914 passengers in 1957 (a 13.3 percent increase over the previous year), it looked as if the airport would top 100,000 for the first time in 1958. But this was not to be. A recession plagued the nation’s economy by late 1957. It would last eight months, and one serious consequence – 3,000 layoffs by Caterpillar Tractor Company – hurt the local economy, and thus airline passenger traffic. Only 90,873 passengers enplaned/ deplaned at PIA in 1958. An American Airlines strike, begun December 19 (and ended January 10), couldn’t have helped matters either. NEW TERMINAL Yet as 1958 unfolded, there was much to look forward. Runway 12-30 was extended to 7,000 feet with an additional 1,000 overrun. It opened for traffic on August 16, enabling the 169th’s F-84s to fly out of their own base. Even better, a new mid-field terminal complex would soon replace the old cramped facility ...

(Originally posted on peoriastation.com October 11, 2016) The last post in this series covered the period between 1950 and 1956. This one covers the ensuing two years. That’s because a lot happened, which set the stage for decades to come. LONGER RUNWAY FOR ANG JET FIGHTERS Runway 12-30, with a northwest-southeast orientation, opened with 4002′ x 100′ dimensions. In 1947, it was extended to 5000′ and widened to 150′ for operations by the 169th’s P-51 Mustangs. As early as 1948, a USAF general suggested ANG would soon obtain jet fighters, requiring at least 6000′ runway length. At first, the airport’s 3600′ northeast-southwest runway (4-22) was to be lengthened to 4800′ or 5000′. Unfortunately, issues with mining subsidence and airfield funding delayed these projects, and by the time they were solved, the Korean War consumed funding and supplies which would have enabled runway expansion. Another issue was Monroe School, which would have to relocate if 4-22 were extend...

(Originally posted July 7, 2016) The newly-renamed Greater Peoria Airport handled 22,903 passengers in 1950. Traffic grew rapidly through 1955 when the facility served 68,058 passengers. Below is a summary of air service changes from the last post, PIA – A History: Airline Service in 1950 , to March 1956. AMERICAN AIRLINES Although the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) recommended suspension of its PIA service and replacement by Ozark, American Airlines fought to retain its route authority. In the end, Ozark was allowed Chicago rights, and AA retained its existing services. BYERLY AIRLINES On April 21, 1953 Byerly Aviation began a Peoria-Chicago (Midway) air taxi service using a Beech Bonanza. An evening flight was added on December 1 that year. In September 1954, service was extended to Jacksonville, Illinois. Ozark Air Lines’ Peoria-Chicago (Midway) flights, which began October 19, 1954, proved devastating to Byerly’s own service. I’ve not found an end date for the f...

(Originally posted on January 27, 2016) The last installment in this series detailed the threat posed by inadequate facilities, mining subsidence and the lack of funding for necessary capital improvements. This post will analyze air service changes. Peoria’s municipal airport experienced major air service changes in 1950. When the year started, air carriers numbered just two – American and TWA. Lets review happenings by each. AMERICAN AIRLINES This carrier operated a daily flight in each direction between Chicago, Peoria, Springfield and St. Louis with a 40-seat Convair 240. No known major changes occurred during the year, but Peoria did see an emergency landing in the early morning hours of December 26. The Peoria Star reported that American Airlines’ Californian , operating from Chicago to Los Angeles, made an emergency landing here due to a heating unit fire. The aircraft, probably a DC-6, had 57 passengers. TRANS WORLD AIRLINES On March 15, 1950, a TWA flight ...

In the prior installment, we reviewed and analyzed events of 1948. Now we shift to 1949. Let’s start with air service changes. AMERICAN AIRLINES On February 1, a 40-seat Convair 240, christened Flagship Peoria the same day, replaced a 21-seat DC-3 on the remaining northbound and southbound flights which stopped at Peoria. It appears, however, that those flights which American Airlines dropped on November 1, 1948 never returning in the spring as promised. CHICAGO & SOUTHERN AIR LINES The Civil Aeronautics Board conducted hearings April 20 on this carrier’s bid to eliminate Peoria from its Chicago-New Orleans route. Officials testified that the service was unnecessary, and that the Peoria stop was unprofitable. In mid-September, the CAB examiner recommended allowing the airline to end service. A decision to allow the change was made on October 27, an service to Peoria ended effective December 26. EASTERN AIR LINES The Peoria Journal noted March 10 that service to ...

The previous installment of this series covered efforts to improve Peoria’s Municipal Airport so that commercial airline service could be restored. Now, we will detail the actual restoration of service in 1945. RESUMPTION OF FLIGHTS In 1942, the Air Transport Command was formed to coordinate air freight and passenger service with the airlines. Personnel involved with the war effort were given priority, thus limiting air travel for the general public. By early 1945, an Allied victory over Nazi Germany seemed assured so commercial airline service could once again primarily cater to the general public. Since both American Airlines and Chicago & Southern Air Lines retained Peoria on their respective operating certificates, the only hurdle prior to resumption of flights was completion of a new terminal. By early April, representatives of the two carriers agreed to resume flights on May 1, 1945 as that was the estimated completion date for the terminal building. A Peorian...

The previous installment of this series covered scheduled airline service at Peoria Municipal Airport from 1932 to 1937. Now we’ll cover efforts to restore service.   NEW MANAGEMENT After commercial airline service ended July 16, 1937 a citizens’ committee quickly organized a petition drive proposing the maintenance and operation of Peoria Municipal Airport by the Peoria Pleasure Driveway & Park District. The petition, if successful, called for a special election to approve a tax levy for funding improvements. A total of 5,775 signatures were presented on August 18, 1937 but the Park Board deferred action pending a report that was presented on September 1. A favorable vote set October 5 as the date for an election. Voters approved the tax levy, and Peoria Airport Inc. stockholders subsequently agreed to transfer their ownership of the airfield to the Park District and cooperate with the transition. The good news was that a tax levy would bring in $75,000 a year for f...