Peoria International Airport Explained

General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
Iata:PIA
Icao:KPIA
Faa:PIA
Wmo:72532
Type:Public
Owner-Oper:Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria
City-Served:Peoria, Illinois
Location:Limestone Township, Peoria County
Elevation-F:661
Website:www.FlyPIA.com
Coordinates:40.6642°N -89.6933°W
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:9
Mapframe-Wikidata:yes
Image Mapsize:200
Image Map Caption:FAA airport diagram
R1-Number:13/31
R1-Length-F:10,104
R1-Surface:Concrete
R2-Number:4/22
R2-Length-F:8,004
R2-Surface:Asphalt
Stat1-Header:Passengers (2021)
Stat1-Data:480,006
Stat2-Header:Aircraft operations (year ending 8/31/2023)
Stat2-Data:38,805
Stat3-Header:Based aircraft (2023)
Stat3-Data:63
Footnotes:Sources: Airport[1] and FAA[2]

General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport[3] is a civil/military public airport five miles west of Peoria, in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. It is on the northwest edge of Bartonville, near Bellevue. It is owned by the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria, which often refers to it as Peoria International Airport.[4] [5] It was formerly the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.[6] [7]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[8] Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 312,378 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2017 and 328,769 in 2018.[9]

History

On May 19, 1932, the citizens of Peoria voted to have an airport. On 195 acres (0.8 km2), American Airways (now American Airlines) and Chicago and Southern Airlines brought in airmail and passenger services on four shale-surfaced runways. The land was purchased by 261 Peoria businessmen who formed the Peoria Airport, Inc.[10] It was turned over to the Peoria Park District in 1937, then to the newly formed Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria in 1950.

American Airlines and Chicago and Southern started flights to Peoria in 1945; C&S pulled out in 1949-50 and American left in 1962, then returned for a couple years starting in 1991. TWA served Peoria 1947 to 1960 and 1983 to 1991; Continental from 1977 to 1983; United from 1984 to 1995; Republic/Northwest 1986 to 1988; and Ozark from 1950 until it merged into TWA. Peoria's first jets were Ozark DC9s in 1966. A curious artifact of airline regulation: Peoria never had nonstop flights beyond Chicago until Ozark was allowed a nonstop to New York La Guardia in 1969.

On April 25, 2007, the Greater Peoria Airport Authority announced a new nine-gate terminal will be built and the old building demolished. On October 10, 2008, the airport was renamed "General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport" during a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Ross Perot, a friend of the late Wayne A. Downing.[11] The new terminal, designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills of Jacksonville, Florida and the Dewberry architecture firm of Peoria, and built by Turner Construction, opened on April 27, 2011.[12] [13] As of August 24, 2012, the airport was in negotiations for international flights using a temporary customs facility.[14]

In 2016, the Ray Lahood International Arrivals Terminal was completed, with more gates, TSA services, and a US Customs Port of Entry facility.[15] [16]

In December 2020, Delta Air Lines pulled all its flights from Peoria.[17]

The airport authority selected a site for a new control tower in 2012, with a design phase from 2013 to 2015 and finalized in 2017; however, funding dried up before a new tower was built.[18] As of May 2023, the airport is planning to use funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and updating design plans to incorporate FAA requirement changes since 2017.

Facilities and aircraft

Peoria International Airport covers 3,800 acres (1,538 ha) at an elevation of 661 feet (201 m). It has two runways: 13/31 is 10,104 by 150 feet (3,080 x 46 m) concrete; 4/22 is 8,004 by 150 feet (2,440 x 46 m) concrete.[19]

For the 12-month period ending August 31, 2023, the airport had 38,805 operations, an average of 106 per day: 57% general aviation, 16% military, 14% commercial, and 14% air taxi.[20] At that time, 63 aircraft were based at this airport: 33 single-engine, 5 multi-engine airplanes, 14 military, 8 jet, 2 helicopters, and 1 ultralight.

Military

The airport is co-located with the Peoria Air National Guard Base, home to the 182d Airlift Wing (182 AW) of the Illinois Air National Guard. This Air National Guard unit is operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC) and consists of Lockheed C-130H Hercules aircraft. The airport is also home to the Illinois Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility No. 3 and 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment, currently operating the Boeing CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter.

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

Statistics

Airline market share

Top domestic destinations (April 2022 – March 2023)[21] ! Rank! City! Passengers! Airlines
1 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois61,000American, United
2 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas44,000American
3 Charlotte, North Carolina40,000American
4 Phoenix–Mesa, Arizona25,000Allegiant
5 Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, Florida25,000Allegiant
6 St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida24,000Allegiant
7 Las Vegas, Nevada19,000Allegiant
8 Orlando–Sanford, Florida16,000Allegiant
9 Denver, Colorado13,000Allegiant
10 Sarasota–Bradenton, Florida11,000Allegiant

Ground transportation

Public transit service to the airport is provided by the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District. Route 7 operates daily from downtown Peoria to the airport.[22]

Accidents and incidents

See also

External links


Notes and References

  1. Web site: General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport . Flypia.com . 2017-09-01 . 2018-07-04.
  2. . Federal Aviation Administration. effective January 25, 2024.
  3. News: He would have been proud . Dave . Haney . . . October 11, 2008 . November 18, 2008.
  4. Web site: Contact Information . Peoria International Airport . December 25, 2012.
  5. Web site: Lynn . Greg . 2009-03-31 . Peoria International Airport Poised for Growth . 2023-10-14 . Peoria Magazine . en-US.
  6. Web site: Greater Peoria Regional Airport . https://web.archive.org/web/20080914202934/http://www.flypia.com/index.php . September 14, 2008.
  7. Web site: KPIA – Greater Peoria Regional Airport . FAA data republished by AirNav . December 17, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100114064601/http://airnav.com/airport/KPIA . January 14, 2010.
  8. Web site: List of NPIAS Airports. FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. 4 July 2018. 21 October 2016.
  9. Web site: Enplanements for CY 2018 . PDF, 3.2 MB . faa.gov . Federal Aviation Administration . December 12, 2019 .
  10. Web site: Brief History of the Airport. Peoria International Airport. November 18, 2008.
  11. Web site: Haney . Dave . 2008-10-11 . Peoria airport named in honor of four-star general . 2023-10-14 . Canton Repository . en-US.
  12. News: Dignitaries Praise New Peoria Airport Terminal During Ceremony. Dave. Haney. Peoria Journal Star. April 27, 2011. June 3, 2012.
  13. Web site: Peoria Airport Gets New Terminal & New Name Airport Improvement Magazine . 2023-10-14 . airportimprovement.com.
  14. News: Peoria Airport Discussing Direct Flights to Caribbean, Mexico. Matt. Buedel. Peoria Journal Star. August 24, 2012. August 24, 2012.
  15. Web site: Peoria airport's international terminal to be named for Ray LaHood . 3 March 2021.
  16. Web site: 2016-03-25 . Peoria airport to name international terminal for Ray LaHood . 2023-10-14 . The State Journal-Register . en-US.
  17. Web site: Delta permanently discontinues service at Peoria International Airport.
  18. Web site: Schopp . Collin . 2023-05-18 . Peoria International Airport rebounds from pandemic and prepares for control tower construction . 2023-10-14 . WCBU Peoria . en.
  19. Web site: PIA airport data at skyvector.com. skyvector.com. September 20, 2022.
  20. Web site: AirNav: KPIA - General Downing - Peoria International Airport .
  21. Web site: Peoria, IL: General Downing – Peoria International (PIA) . . July 2021 .
  22. Web site: Schedules and Routes. May 31, 2023.