General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport

General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport[3] (IATA: PIA[4], ICAO: KPIA, FAA LID: PIA) is a civil/military public airport five miles west of Peoria, in Peoria County, Illinois, United States.[2] It is on the northwest edge of Bartonville, near Bellevue. It is owned by the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria,[2] which often refers to it as Peoria 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 (May 19 1932)
Elevation AMSL661 ft / 201 m
Coordinates40°39′51″N 089°41′36″W
Websitewww.FlyPIA.com
Map
PIA is located in Illinois
PIA
PIA
Location in Illinois
PIA is located in the United States
PIA
PIA
PIA (the United States)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
13/31 10,104 3,080 Concrete
4/22 8,004 2,440 Asphalt
Statistics
Departing passengers (12 months ending Mar. 2018)639,320
Aircraft operations (2017)41,557
Based aircraft (2018)69
Sources: Airport[1] and FAA[2]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categorized it as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[9] Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 312,378 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2017 and 328,769 in 2018.[10]

History
Peoria Airport

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.[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. 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.[3][12][6] 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.[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 Lines pulled 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 the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and updating design plans to incorporate FAA requirement changes since 2017.[19]

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.[2][20][6]

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had about 45,000 operations, an average of 123 per day: 54% general aviation, 20% military, 14% commercial, and 11% air taxi.[21] In June 2018, 69 aircraft were based at this airport: 40 single-engine and 4 multi-engine airplanes, 14 military, 8 jet, and 3 helicopters.[2]

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.[6] 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.[6]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Allegiant Air Fort Lauderdale,[22] Las Vegas, Orlando/Sanford, Phoenix/Mesa, Punta Gorda (FL), St. Petersburg/Clearwater
Seasonal: Denver,[23] Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Nashville, Sarasota 		[24]
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth [25]
United Express Chicago–O'Hare [26]

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
UPS Airlines Louisville, Rockford, Miami

Statistics

Airline market share
Carrier shares for (April 2022 – March 2023)[27]
Carrier Passengers (arriving and departing)
Allegiant
300,000(50.75%)
PSA
81,000(13.78%)
Mesa
77,000(13.05%)
Envoy Air
65,000(10.91%)
Air Wisconsin
57,000(9.66%)
Other
11,000(1.85%)
Top domestic destinations (April 2022 – March 2023)[27]
Rank City Passengers Airlines
1 Illinois Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 61,000 American, United
2 Texas Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 44,000 American
3 North Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina 40,000 American
4 Arizona Phoenix–Mesa, Arizona 25,000 Allegiant
5 Florida Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, Florida 25,000 Allegiant
6 Florida St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida 24,000 Allegiant
7 Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada 19,000 Allegiant
8 Florida Orlando–Sanford, Florida 16,000 Allegiant
9 Colorado Denver, Colorado 13,000 Allegiant
10 Florida Sarasota–Bradenton, Florida 11,000 Allegiant

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.[28]

Accidents and incidents
  • On October 21, 1971, Chicago & Southern Airlines[lower-alpha 1] 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 aboard. The cause was found to be the pilot knowingly descending below the minimum descent altitude before being visual with the runway.[29]

See also

Notes
  1. According to the Aviation Safety Network report,[29] the airline involved in the accident was founded in 1969 and ended operations in 1971. Chicago and Southern Air Lines was a completely different airline that was founded in California in 1933 and merged in 1953 with Delta Air Lines to become Delta-C&S for two years until 1955, reverting to Delta Air Lines.

References
  1. "General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport". Flypia.com. September 1, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  2. FAA Airport Form 5010 for PIA PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. effective December 30, 2021.
  3. Haney, Dave (October 11, 2008). "He would have been proud". Peoria Journal Star. Peoria, Illinois. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  4. "IATA Airport Code Search (PIA: Greater Peoria)". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  5. "Contact Information". Peoria International Airport. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
  6. Lynn, Greg (March 31, 2009). "Peoria International Airport Poised for Growth". Peoria Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  7. "Greater Peoria Regional Airport". Archived from the original on September 14, 2008.
  8. "KPIA – Greater Peoria Regional Airport". FAA data republished by AirNav. December 17, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010.
  9. "List of NPIAS Airports" (PDF). FAA.gov. Federal Aviation Administration. October 21, 2016. Retrieved July 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. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  12. Haney, Dave (October 11, 2008). "Peoria airport named in honor of four-star general". Canton Repository. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  13. Haney, Dave (April 27, 2011). "Dignitaries Praise New Peoria Airport Terminal During Ceremony". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
  14. "Peoria Airport Gets New Terminal & New Name | Airport Improvement Magazine". airportimprovement.com. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  15. Buedel, Matt (August 24, 2012). "Peoria Airport Discussing Direct Flights to Caribbean, Mexico". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  16. "Peoria airport's international terminal to be named for Ray LaHood". Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  17. "Peoria airport to name international terminal for Ray LaHood". The State Journal-Register. March 25, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  18. "Delta permanently discontinues service at Peoria International Airport".
  19. Schopp, Collin (May 18, 2023). "Peoria International Airport rebounds from pandemic and prepares for control tower construction". WCBU Peoria. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  20. "PIA airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  21. "AirNav: KPIA - General Downing - Peoria International Airport".
  22. "Allegiant Announces Major Service Expansion with 22 New Nonstop Routes | Allegiant Travel Company".
  23. "Allegiant Air aims for pandemic vacationers with flights to 3 new cities, including Jackson Hole and Portland". USA Today.
  24. "Allegiant Interactive Route Map". Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  25. "Flight schedules and notifications". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  26. "Timetable". Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  27. "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.
  28. "Schedules and Routes". Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  29. Accident description for N51CS at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on April 11, 2020.
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