CENTRAL ILLINOIS REGIONAL AIRPORT 2008 PRIMARY AIRPORT OF THE YEAR

IDOT Recognizes Airport for Outstanding Work in Several Areas

For more  information:

Carl Olson 

Executive Director Central Illinois Regional Airport 

3201 CIRA Drive, Suite 200 Bloomington , IL 61704 

309-663-7384

( Bloomington,  IL , May 14, 2008)  The  Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (CIRA) has been chosen as the 2008 Primary Airport of the Year by the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics.  Airport Officials were info rmed of the award via a letter from Dr. Susan R. Shea, Director of  IDOT’s Division of Aeronautics.  The special recognition is for outstanding work in the areas of airport maintenance, community support, and promotion of aviation.

Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority Chairman Paul Harmon is grateful in acknowledging the honor. “The Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority Board of Commissioners and staff are very pleased and honored to receive this award from the Illinois Department of Transportation.”, according to Harmon.  “There has been much hard work and dedication to maintaining and improving our facilities to better serve our community and all airport users.  It continues to be our goal to provide a safe and efficient facility which will enhance the quality of life for our community and to have this effort recognized is quite gratifying.  We wish to thank Dr. Shea and the staff at the Division of Aeronautics.”

The award will be presented at a special noon ceremony at the annual Illinois Aviation Conference on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1501 S. Neil Street in Champaign , Illinois .

CIRA has several completed and ongoing projects that support this award. 

o        In February 2008 CJ’s Restaurant opened in the former CIRA terminal building at 2901 E. Empire, Bloomington , after extensive renovation to the site that housed a previous restaurant.  With the restaurant’s opening came a renewed interest in general aviation flights from other areas of Illinois to Bloomington to access the new restaurant from the general aviation ramp area.  The former terminal building also currently houses the Challenger Learning Center , operated by the Prairie Aviation Museum .

o        CIRA is partnering with the City of Bloomington to design and construct a new joint use fire station to be located on Old Oakland Avenue near the current FAA Air Traffic Control tower. 

o        This fire station will serve both the airport and the east side of the City of Bloomington .  The airport has received a FAA grant award to finance this construction. 

o        Completion of all new perimeter fencing for the airport is slated for this summer.  This will protect the airport property and fulfill a FAA safety requirement.  CIRA has held a series of public meetings for airport neighbors impacted by this project.

o        A new Category II instrument landing system is ready and will be commissioned this summer.  CIRA will be the only downstate Illinois airport with a CAT II approach when completed and operational.  This instrumentation will allow for aircraft landing during reduced visibility weather conditions for commercial, cargo and corporate aircraft.

o        The Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority worked with local elected officials to pass legislation at the state level to expand the Board of Commissioners from five members to seven; thereby allowing broader community participation at the Airport Authority.

Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal is served by five airlines – AirTran Airways, American Eagle, Northwest Airlink , United Express and Delta Connection. Nonstop and connecting service through major hubs provides worldwide access to and from the central Illinois community. 

A record number of passengers in 2007continued a five year increase in passenger traffic for the airport.

With CIRA offering the lowest domestic fares in downstate Illinois *, the airport reported a total of 532,075 passengers on commercial airlines in 2007.  A new passenger terminal building, opened in 2001, was built to accommodate the growing number of passengers choosing the Central Illinois Regional Airport . ##

*Based on USDOT data through December 2007.