CIRA named Airport of the Year by IDOT

Posted on September 28, 2022

Central Illinois Regional Airport was one of six airports that received Airport of the Year awards from IDOT, which were handed out Tuesday during the Illinois Public Airports Association Fall Conference in Galena. (WJBC file photo)

BLOOMINGTON – Central Illinois Regional Airport has been named Primary Airport of the Year by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

They were among six airports that received Airport of the Year awards from IDOT, which were handed out Tuesday during the Illinois Public Airports Association Fall Conference in Galena.

“Aviation is vital to our state’s economy and a pillar of our multimodal system that makes us the North American transportation hub we are today,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman in a prepared statement. “Our aviation partners support a variety of industries and make numerous contributions to enhance the quality of life in Illinois. We present these awards as tokens of recognition and gratitude for their efforts.”

IDOT says the airports were selected based on their accomplishments, including an outstanding partnership with IDOT and a strong commitment to customer safety and satisfaction. They add among the award considerations are cooperation and coordination with the state, safety record, maintenance of the facility, and promotion of aviation and educational events.

There are currently 100 public-use airports and heliports, with close to 3,000 aircraft registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. This helps supports more than 492,000 jobs with a combined payroll of $21.9 billion, with a total economic impact of $95.4 billion.

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