When I tell people something about the Pekin Airport, lots of folks respond with, “Pekin has an airport?” Yes! One of our municipal services, and assets, is the Pekin Municipal Airport. The airport provides easy access to Pekin and the Greater Peoria Area with a single 5,000 foot paved and lighted runway serviced by three instrument approaches. Our terminal facilities and self-service aviation fueling are accessible 24/7. Assisted service is typically provided from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. For those who may not know much about the airport, here are some quick facts:

Location:
Just south of South Pekin on Highway 29 (see the fighter jet parked out front)

Governing Body:
City Council with consultation from the Airport Advisory Commission

Airplane Hangers:
20, fully occupied

Annual Budget:
$2.5 million (90-95% of projects are paid for by Federal grants)

New Initiatives:

• Grant application submitted for new $2 million security fencing.
• Community Solar project in negotiations to offset costs at the airport.
• Plans for future cross-wind runway to add more capability for landings.

While some may say the airport is a waste of time and money, there are good reasons to keep it around, the first of which is that the Federal Aviation Administration makes us! If the City were to abandon the airport business, we would owe the FAA millions of dollars in refunding all their grants to us over the years. Secondly, airports are a secret economic powerhouse. From crop spraying to medical flights to private charters, general aviation generates a whopping $150 billion to the economy and supports 8 million jobs in the US every year.  As Pekin looks to grow its corporate and industrial business base, having a nice local airport is an enticing benefit that most other communities can’t claim.

The Pekin Airport is just one of the unique assets we have to offer. If you ever want to tour the airport and learn more about local aviation, please reach out to City Hall, and we can make it happen!

Dates to Remember:
October 3 – Community Non-Profit Summit
October 10 – Pekin Farmers Market
December 6 – Christmas on Court

Visit DiscoverPekin.com for a full, updated list of community events

Sources available upon request.