The last two months have been very good for Peoria's airport. See the record numbers

Peoria's airport had two record-setting months in 2024, bringing more passengers to the airport than ever before during the months of August and September. This year marks the first time the airport has set a monthly record since before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport in August served 57,353 passengers across 400 commercial flights, a 1.3% uptick from the previous August high of 56,639 passengers, set in 2019.

The airport also saw its busiest September in history, supporting 385 commercial departures and 53,796 passengers. September is usually the least busy month, director of airports Gene Olson said, but this year’s traffic data for the month exceeded by 4% the airport’s previous-best set in 2014.

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Both months surpassed the 2023 totals for those months by more than 10 percent.

Olson said Peoria International has been comparing its recent passenger traffic data to that of the five years before pandemic disruptions. While January and February 2020 set passenger records, as well, air travel dropped dramatically in April, which garnered only 2,800 travelers — a 97% decrease.

But the airport has persevered, Olson said, and has been exceeding average traffic numbers since June of this year. He chalked it up to the simple fact that more people are traveling again, particularly for leisure. Allegiant, which flies out of Peoria, is also flying more cities than before the pandemic.

“For a long time, they couldn’t travel or didn’t feel it was safe,” he said. “Now, I think the economy’s picked back up and people are feeling comfortable, and I think they’re traveling somewhat because they couldn’t.”

Will Peoria International add any new routes this year?

Peoria currently provides service to 13 destinations on three airlines, and the airport is looking to expand to more cities in western and southwestern markets, Olson said.

Last year, the airport received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Small Community Air Service Development Program , which provides funds to local communities to expand air service and remedy airfare issues.

Olson said the airport received a letter of support from American Airlines related to servicing Phoenix, and United Airlines is interested in flying to Houston and Denver from Peoria. However, the airlines are still in discussion and no final decisions have been made.

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One problem currently facing smaller airports like Peoria is the Boeing production crisis, Olson said. Fewer planes and capacity limits make it more difficult for small- and medium-sized markets to attract large aircraft over bigger airports.

Another issue, Olson said, is that many people drive to Chicago O’Hare International Airport to fly to certain destinations, which disincentivizes airlines from expanding service in Peoria.

“When we’re filling the airplanes that we have, that provides a basis for us to go to the airlines and try to get additional flights and new destinations and add frequencies on the routes we already have,” Olson said. “It’s really a use-it-or-lose-it situation.”

Could 2024 break an annual record?

Typically, Olson said, March, June and July are the busiest, with many spring breakers and summer vacationers flying out of the airport. As the winter holidays approach, the airport is gearing up for another influx of travelers heading home for the holidays or escaping the imminent Midwest cold.

Peoria International's biggest year was 2019, ushering in 689,416 total passengers: 345,340 passengers who boarded, plus 344,076 deplanements. Through October 2024, the airport has welcomed 522,278 passengers total, only 2.7% away from matching 2019.

But while the numbers are close, Olson said passenger traffic data from early 2024 — which fell just short of 2019 most months — makes him doubtful the airport will reach another record.

“We’re hoping that passengers will continue to travel pretty robustly through the end of the year, but I think it's probably just a little too much to hope for an annual record."

(This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: The last two months have been very good for Peoria's airport. See the record numbers