Peoria Station

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 last installment covered the air mail fiasco, which actually prompted airlines to place greater emphasis on passengers but also led to greater federal regulation. Now it is time to analyze commercial airline service at Peoria’s Municipal Airport during 1932-1937. American Airlines, Etc .  When American Airways added Peoria as a stop on its Chicago-New Orleans mail route, it was using nine-passenger Fairchild “Pilgrim” F100 aircraft. Service began December 10, 1932. The schedule below, culled from an American Airways timetable dated October 27, 1933, shows five arriving and five departing flights daily, including one in each direction on a Chicago-Peoria-Springfield-St. Louis-Jackson (MS)-Memphis route, one in each direction on a Detroit-Chicago-Peoria-Springfield-St. Louis route and a northbound St. Louis-Springfield-Peoria-Chicago flight. The Air Mail Fiasco, and the subsequent termination of existing contracts, took Peoria off the air mail routes effective Tue...