PIA has another record month in October
Nov 28, 2018
PEORIA, IL -- More passengers traveled through the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport last month than any other previous October, helping boost PIA's overall passenger count to more than 7 percent over 2017's numbers year-to-date.
A record 58,282 passengers traveled through PIA in October, breaking the previous October record of 56,290 set last year.
PIA has now set records in six months of 2018, including in June, which was also the busiest month in airport history.
Unless holiday traffic declines drastically, Director Gene Olson predicts 2018 will surpass our record year of 2015 in which PIA saw a total 641,671 passengers.
"At this point, 2018 numbers are nearly 5 percent above where we were in 2015 at this time," Olson said. "We're pleased and also very grateful for all of the support from Central Illinois. We know that travelers have options, but we want people to know that PIA is big enough to get you everywhere you need to be, and small enough to care you get there."
Meanwhile, strong support of daily nonstop flights to Charlotte, N.C., has led American Airlines to bring larger jets into the market. Starting in mid-February, the twice-daily route, operated by PSA Airlines on behalf of American, will be on 65-seat regional jets and include 9 business class seats.
"What's exciting about this is that we will soon have two nonstop routes with first-class service," Olson said. "American Airlines added first-class service to Dallas/Fort Worth nearly a year ago. Obviously, American sees that our market, with so many business travelers, appreciates the larger planes and additional amenities."
Added Olson: "We're extremely proud of all the options and airlines that we have at PIA. Four of our hub airports rank among the top five most connected airports in the country. That means, that with one connecting flight, our passengers can connect from Peoria to practically anywhere in the world."
According to OAG, an aviation data analytics firm, the following airports are the most connected in the U.S.: Chicago's O'Hare International Airport ranks No. 1 followed, in order of ranking: Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport (No. 2); Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (No. 3) and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (No. 4).
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- For information, contact:
- Gene Olson, Director of Airports
- Phone: 309-697-8272
- Email: golson@flypia.com