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Peoria International Airport

(Redirected fromGeneral Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport)

General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport[3](IATA:PIA[4],ICAO:KPIA,FAALID:PIA) is a civil/military public airport five miles west ofPeoria,inPeoria County,Illinois, United States.[2]It is on the northwest edge ofBartonville,nearBellevue.It is owned by the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria,[2]which often refers to it asPeoria International Airport.[5][6]It was formerly the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.[7][8]

General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorMetropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria
ServesPeoria, Illinois
LocationLimestone Township, Peoria County
OpenedMay 19 1932;92 years ago(May 19 1932)
ElevationAMSL661 ft / 201 m
Coordinates40°39′51″N089°41′36″W/ 40.66417°N 89.69333°W/40.66417; -89.69333
WebsiteFlyPIA
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 10,104 3,080 Concrete
4/22 8,004 2,440 Asphalt
Statistics
Passengers (2021)480,006
Aircraft operations (year ending 8/31/2023)38,805
Based aircraft (2023)63
Sources: Airport[1]andFAA[2]

TheFederal Aviation Administration(FAA)National Plan of Integrated Airport Systemsfor 2017–2021categorizedit as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[9]Federal Aviation Administrationrecords say the airport had 312,378 passenger boardings (enplanements) incalendar year2017 and 328,769 in 2018.[10]

History

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Peoria Airport

On May 19, 1932, the citizens of Peoria voted to have an airport. On 195 acres (0.8 km2), American Airways (nowAmerican Airlines) andChicago and Southern Airlinesbrought in airmail and passenger services on four shale-surfaced runways. The land was purchased by 261 Peoria businessmen who formed the Peoria Airport, Inc.[11]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.TWAserved Peoria 1947 to 1960 and 1983 to 1991;Continentalfrom 1977 to 1983;Unitedfrom 1984 to 1995;Republic/Northwest1986 to 1988; andOzarkfrom 1950 until it merged into TWA. Peoria's first jets were OzarkDC9sin 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-gateterminalwill 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 byRoss Perot,a friend of the lateWayne A. Downing.[3][12][6]The new terminal, designed byReynolds, Smith & Hillsof Jacksonville, Florida and the Dewberry architecture firm of Peoria, and built byTurner Construction,opened on April 27, 2011.[13][14]As of August 24, 2012, the airport was in negotiations for international flights using a temporary customs facility.[15]

In 2016, the Ray Lahood International Arrivals Terminal was completed, with more gates, TSA services, and a US Customs Port of Entry facility.[16][17]

In December 2020,Delta Air Linespulled all its flights from Peoria.[18]

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.[19]As of May 2023, the airport is planning to use funds from theBipartisan Infrastructure Billand updating design plans to incorporate FAA requirement changes since 2017.[19]

Facilities and aircraft

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Peoria International Airport covers 3,800 acres (1,538ha) 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.[2][20][6]

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.[21]At that time, 63aircraftwere based at this airport: 33 single-engine, 5 multi-engineairplanes,14military,8jet,2helicopters,and 1 ultralight.[2]

Military

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The airport is co-located with thePeoria Air National Guard Base,home to the182d Airlift Wing(182 AW) of theIllinois Air National Guard.ThisAir National Guardunit is operationally-gained by theAir Mobility Command(AMC) and consists ofLockheed C-130H Herculesaircraft.[6]The airport is also home to theIllinois Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility No. 3 and 1st Battalion, 106th Aviation Regiment, currently operating theBoeing CH-47 "Chinook"helicopter.[6]

Airlines and destinations

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Passenger

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AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Allegiant AirLas Vegas,Orlando/Sanford,Phoenix/Mesa,Punta Gorda (FL),St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal:Denver,[22]Destin/Fort Walton Beach,Fort Lauderdale,Nashville,Sarasota		[23]
American EagleCharlotte,Chicago–O'Hare,Dallas/Fort Worth[24]
United ExpressChicago–O'Hare[25]

Cargo

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AirlinesDestinations
UPS AirlinesChicago/Rockford,Louisville,Miami

Statistics

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Airline market share

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Carrier shares for (September 2023 – August 2024)[26]
Carrier Passengers (arriving and departing)
Allegiant
312,000(47.59%)
PSA
97,060(14.81%)
Envoy Air
87,790(13.40%)
SkyWest
83,430(12.73%)
Air Wisconsin
69,570(10.62%)
Other
5,630(0.86%)
Top domestic destinations (September 2023 – August 2024)[26]
Rank City Passengers Airlines
1 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 80,340 American
2 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 46,890 American
3 Charlotte, North Carolina 45,550 American
4 Phoenix–Mesa, Arizona 27,840 Allegiant
5 Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, Florida 25,080 Allegiant
6 St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida 24,660 Allegiant
7 Orlando–Sanford, Florida 16,670 Allegiant
8 Las Vegas, Nevada 15,670 Allegiant
9 Denver, Colorado 14,930 Allegiant
10 Sarasota–Bradenton, Florida 13,660 Allegiant

Ground transportation

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Public transit service to the airport is provided by theGreater Peoria Mass Transit District.Route 7 operates daily from downtown Peoria to the airport.[27]

Accidents and incidents

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  • On October 21, 1971, Chicago & Southern Airlines[a]Flight 804, anATECO Westwind II,crashed 2 miles west of PIA after striking power lines in limited visibility and low clouds, killing all 14 passengers and two crew aboard. The cause was found to be the pilot knowingly descending below theminimum descent altitudebefore being visual with the runway.[28]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^According to theAviation Safety Networkreport,[28]the airline involved in the accident was founded in 1969 and ended operations in 1971.Chicago and Southern Air Lineswas a completely different airline that was founded in California in 1933 and merged in 1953 withDelta Air Linesto become Delta-C&S for two years until 1955, reverting to Delta Air Lines.

References

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  1. ^"General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport".Flypia. September 1, 2017.RetrievedJuly 4,2018.
  2. ^abcdeFAA Airport Form 5010 for PIAPDF.Federal Aviation Administration. effective January 25, 2024.
  3. ^abHaney, Dave (October 11, 2008)."He would have been proud".Peoria Journal Star.Peoria, Illinois.RetrievedNovember 18,2008.
  4. ^"IATA Airport Code Search (PIA: Greater Peoria)".International Air Transport Association.RetrievedDecember 25,2012.
  5. ^"Contact Information".Peoria International Airport.RetrievedDecember 25,2012.
  6. ^abcdeLynn, Greg (March 31, 2009)."Peoria International Airport Poised for Growth".Peoria Magazine.RetrievedOctober 14,2023.
  7. ^"Greater Peoria Regional Airport".Archived fromthe originalon September 14, 2008.
  8. ^"KPIA – Greater Peoria Regional Airport".FAA data republished by AirNav. December 17, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon January 14, 2010.
  9. ^"List of NPIAS Airports"(PDF).FAA.gov.Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016.RetrievedJuly 4,2018.
  10. ^ "Enplanements for CY 2018"(PDF, 3.2 MB).faa.gov.Federal Aviation Administration. December 12, 2019.
  11. ^"Brief History of the Airport".Peoria International Airport.RetrievedNovember 18,2008.
  12. ^Haney, Dave (October 11, 2008)."Peoria airport named in honor of four-star general".Canton Repository.RetrievedOctober 14,2023.
  13. ^Haney, Dave (April 27, 2011)."Dignitaries Praise New Peoria Airport Terminal During Ceremony".Peoria Journal Star.RetrievedJune 3,2012.
  14. ^"Peoria Airport Gets New Terminal & New Name | Airport Improvement Magazine".airportimprovement.RetrievedOctober 14,2023.
  15. ^Buedel, Matt (August 24, 2012)."Peoria Airport Discussing Direct Flights to Caribbean, Mexico".Peoria Journal Star.RetrievedAugust 24,2012.
  16. ^"Peoria airport's international terminal to be named for Ray LaHood".RetrievedMarch 3,2021.
  17. ^"Peoria airport to name international terminal for Ray LaHood".The State Journal-Register.March 25, 2016.RetrievedOctober 14,2023.
  18. ^"Delta permanently discontinues service at Peoria International Airport".
  19. ^abSchopp, Collin (May 18, 2023)."Peoria International Airport rebounds from pandemic and prepares for control tower construction".WCBU Peoria.RetrievedOctober 14,2023.
  20. ^"PIA airport data at skyvector".skyvector.RetrievedSeptember 20,2022.
  21. ^"AirNav: KPIA - General Downing - Peoria International Airport".
  22. ^"Allegiant Air aims for pandemic vacationers with flights to 3 new cities, including Jackson Hole and Portland".USA Today.
  23. ^"Allegiant Interactive Route Map".Archivedfrom the original on July 17, 2017.RetrievedJuly 22,2024.
  24. ^"Flight schedules and notifications".Archivedfrom the original on February 2, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  25. ^"Timetable".Archivedfrom the original on January 28, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 7,2017.
  26. ^ab "Peoria, IL: General Downing – Peoria International (PIA)".Bureau of Transportation Statistics(BTS),Research and Innovative Technology Administration(RITA),U.S. Department of Transportation.July 2021.
  27. ^"Schedules and Routes".RetrievedMay 31,2023.
  28. ^abAccident description for N51CSat theAviation Safety Network.Retrieved on April 11, 2020.
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