General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport 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. It was formerly the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a non-hub primary commercial service facility. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 312,378 passenger boardings in calendar year 2017 and 328,769 in 2018.
It is the fourth-busiest of the 12 commercial airports in Illinois.
History
On May 19, 1932 the citizens of Peoria voted to have an airport. On 195 acres, American Airways and Chicago and Southern Airlines brought in airmail and passenger service on four shale-surfaced runways. The land was purchased by 261 Peoria businessmen who formed the Peoria Airport, Inc. It was turned over to the Peoria Park District in 1937, then to the newly formed The 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 1977 to 1983, United 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 had never had nonstop flights beyond Chicago, but in 1969 Ozark was allowed a nonstop to New York La Guardia.
On April 25, 2007 the Greater Peoria Airport Authority announced a new nine-gate terminal will be built and the old terminal 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. The new terminal, designed by Reynolds, Smith & Hills of Jacksonville, FL, Dewberry of Peoria, and built by Turner Construction, opened on April 27, 2011.
As of August 24, 2012, the airport was in negotiations for international flights using a temporary customs facility.
In the spring of 2016 the Ray Lahood International Arrivals Terminal was completed, with more gates, TSA services, and a US Customs Port of Entry facility.
Air National Guard / Army National Guard
The airport is co-located with the Peoria Air National Guard Base, home to the 182d Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard. This Air National Guard unit is operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command 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.Facilities
Peoria International Airport covers 3,800 acres at an elevation of 661 feet. It has two runways: 13/31 is 10,104 by 150 feet concrete; 4/22 is 8,004 by 150 feet concrete.In 2017 the airport had 41,557 aircraft operations, average 114 per day: 32% general aviation, 31% air taxi, 18% military, and 9% airline. In June 2018, 69 aircraft were based at this airport: 40 single-engine, 8 jet, 14 military, 3 helicopter, and 4 multi-engine.
Airlines and destinations
Peoria International Airport has four passenger airlines: Allegiant Air uses mainline jets; American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines use smaller, regional aircraft.Cargo
There is one cargo airline, UPS.| Destinations map |
Statistics
Top destinations
| Rank | City | Passengers | Airlines |
| 1 | Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 92,570 | American, United |
| 2 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 40,790 | American |
| 3 | Atlanta, Georgia | 39,870 | Delta |
| 4 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 35,130 | American |
| 5 | Phoenix–Mesa, Arizona | 26,950 | Allegiant |
| 6 | Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, Florida | 26,840 | Allegiant |
| 7 | St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida | 22,670 | Allegiant |
| 8 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 16,240 | Allegiant |
| 9 | Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota | 10,740 | Delta |
| 10 | Orlando–Sanford, Florida | 9,710 | Allegiant |
Cargo airlines
- ABX Air
- UPS Airlines
Accidents and incidents
- On October 21, 1971, Chicago & Southern Airlines Flight 804, an ATECO 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. The pilot knowingly descending below the minimum descent altitude was the cause.