After some disappointing news about United withdrawing service from C-U, here’s a bit of good news for the community and for Willard Airport. Here is their official statement:
AMERICAN AIRLINES ADDS NEW SERVICE TO CHARLOTTE
Starting with one flight daily from Willard Airport
SAVOY, IL (July 11, 2018) – Getting to the east-coast from Central Illinois is about to get a lot
easier. American Airlines announced today they will add new service from University of IllinoisWillard Airport (CMI) to American’s hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) starting December 19, 2018.
“This is exciting news for the airport and all of Champaign County,” says Willard Airport
Executive Director Gene Cossey. “The Charlotte to Champaign route is the first new hub
available to the region in more than ten years and it is what our whole team has been working
towards for quite some time. Passengers can expect dozens of new one-stop destinations and easier connections to the southeastern and northeastern states.”
“American Airlines is proud to serve our customers in Central Illinois with this new service to
Charlotte, our second largest hub,” says Billy Glunz, American’s Director – State and Local
Government Affairs. “From Charlotte, customers will be able to take advantage of 674 daily
flights to 160 destinations in 25 countries.”
The service will start with one early morning flight from Willard Airport and a return flight from
Charlotte in the evening. Customers will be able to start booking their flights to Charlotte on
Saturday, July 14.
“This is welcome news for Champaign County residents and University of Illinois-Willard
Airport,” says Sen. Dick Durbin. “This new route will open up countless more travel options
for Illinoisans, and help the airport keep up with increased demand.” The additional route to Charlotte will add to the five daily flights to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and two daily flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). “This new connection to Charlotte is another acclamation of the strength of the Champaign County economy, the University of Illinois, and the dedication of the people who fly their hometown airport,” says Cossey.
“Adding this new route is testament to Champaign-Urbana’s strong economy and will
provide even more opportunities for residents throughout Central Illinois,” says
Congressman Rodney Davis. “I applaud Gene Cossey and his team at Willard Airport for
all their hard work in securing this additional route. Willard is a great example of how
important regional airports are to our rural communities and why we must protect and
improve federal programs critical to ensuring rural residents have access to air service.”