St. Louis Downtown Airport (KCPS) announced that flight operations at the airport increased to a total of 101,938 in 2021, the highest total for the airport in the past five years. The total number of air operations exceeded 2019 figures by more than 5%, which is significant given that the coronavirus pandemic continued to have a significant impact on air travel in 2021. This represents an increase of 31 .2% compared to air operations in 2020, a strong signal. Private and business travel customers returned to the skies and flew in and out of the airport closest to downtown St. Louis.
“The overall trend for the first quarter of 2022 confirmed that the rebound is continuing and should see even greater acceleration due to key events attracting more travelers to the region in the coming months,” said Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multi Modal Enterprises. for bi-state development. Bi-State Development owns and operates Illinois’ busiest general aviation airport, which is located on 1,000 acres in Cahokia Heights and Sauget. Airport operations were affected by winter storms for a few days in February this year, but so far this is the only drop in flight operations that has been recorded in 2022.
“Our aviation customers choose to fly to St. Louis Downtown Airport for convenient access to the central business district, educational institutions, major sporting events, concerts, races and more” , said Sandra Shore, manager of St. Louis Downtown Airport. “They also appreciate the excellent service provided by a professional team that discreetly meets their varied needs in a pleasant, convenient and uncluttered environment.”
The airport’s future growth will be supported by the $5 million grant recently awarded to the airport as part of the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure plan. Up facility, which is a critical improvement that will benefit four aircraft maintenance contractors operating at St. Louis’ downtown airport. This project will support more than 450 high-tech aerospace manufacturing jobs by improving production safety, reliability, and efficiency, improving airport operations, and increasing the global competitiveness of Southwestern Illinois and the United States. State of Illinois. The project has been in the works for several years and construction is expected to begin later this year.
According to an Illinois State study, St. Louis Downtown Airport (KCPS) contributed more than $422 million in economic impact to the region in 2019, including factors such as airport activity and visitor spending. The airport supports significant recreational, charter, and business flying activity, as well as flight instruction from St. Louis University Parks College, the nation’s oldest continuously operating flight school. Additional activities supported by the airport include government operations, military training, property tours, medical transportation, aerospace technology research, and glider flying.
Given its strategic location just east of downtown St. Louis, the airport serves as a gateway to the metropolitan area and the tourist attractions and amenities that have made St. Louis a spot on the list of hottest great places of the world of 2021 in Time magazine. Recognizing the wealth of attractions and destinations within a 15-mile radius of its terminal, St. Louis Downtown Airport offers a Visitors Guide. The guide provides suggestions for different types of places to visit, ranging from museums, parks and stadiums to casinos, breweries and a host of other unique attractions. It also includes a handy list of hotels in the heart of the city and a map to see at a glance where everything is in relation to the downtown St. Louis airport.
