Midwest - International Service to Peoria (PIA)

Heard on the radio the other day that Peoria Intl Airport was upgrading their border control and customs operations in order to handle commercial flights. The airport can currently has facilities for cargo and private flights. They said there was at least one airline that approached the airport requesting the ability to do international flights, but they didn't give a name.

Who could it be? It's obviously not going to be a mainline, so my guess is Allegiant. Although, I haven't seen anything definitive from them about international, just Hawaii.

The airport website shows flights to Punta Gorda on Allegiant

The airport website shows flights to Punta Gorda on Allegiant

Punta Gorda is in Florida, which some may consider a foreign country these days.

Punta Gorda is in Florida, which some may consider a foreign country these days.


http://jokerreport.typepad.com/.a/6a00e393366a1a8834017c3189dd97970b-500wi

I dimly remember that a low-cost airline (possibly a public charter) is operating between Peoria and Warsaw.

Punta Gorda is in Florida, which some may consider a foreign country these days.

Sorry definitely had a brain fart when I was typing that.

Here's an article from the Peoria Journal-Star that says they're discussing Mexico/Caribbean flights with an unnamed airline:

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1055170053/Peoria-airport-discussing-international-flights

Allegiant doesn't currently fly to any destinations outside the US, so I doubt it's going to be them.

My guess is that it would something along the lines of a vacation charter like Apple Vacations. Just look up the road to Rockford. They built an international "terminal" about 8 years ago with weekly flights to Cancun. Now they've expanded to Montego Bay and Punta Cana. The flights are generally once a week to each destination, and during the winter/spring only. (I think the actual flights are operated by Frontier, but the ticketing/promotion is through Apple Vacations.)

You don't really need a nice "terminal" since the international flights can depart from the regular domestic side. You just need a place to run people through the customs/immigration process with a bathroom and holding cell for when they need to interrogate the terrorists who are trying to blend in with midwest vacationers coming back from the beach. :D

PIA is in the process of, if not already done of complete rebuilding of terminal. So I guess the requirement of "nice" is being fulfilled. Plus they have free parking for up to 7 days.

As this discussion is pertinent to only one airport and not a general travel topic, we'll shift this to the Midwest forum. Thanks! :) /JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator