Page 8 - Gene Olson News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Flights to Nashville, Tenn., also appear poised to return.

The pandemic hit the airline industry hard in 2020. The six biggest U.S. airlines suffered combined losses of $22 billion in the second and third quarters this year, according to the Wall Street Journal. In Peoria, airport director Gene Olson said the year started on a bright note at Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport with record-setting months in both January and February. Then the pandemic hit, and the number of passengers flying in and out of Peoria declined from 52,825 in February to 36,343 in March. The bottom dropped out in April when only 2,928 passengers used the Peoria air...

PEORIA - With service suspended since May, Delta Airlines has decided to permanently discontinue service in Peoria. Across the nation the airline industry has been hit hard by decreasing air travel caused by the pandemic. After widespread quarantines were instituted in March, traffic dropped 96 percent at the Peoria airport, with a total of just 2,928 travelers in May compared to 59,321 travelers the previous year.  “We will have to work hard with the business community to attract Delta back to PIA,” said airport director Gene Olson in a prepared statement “The community recently showe...