University of Illinois – Willard Airport is one of only two commercial airports in the country owned and operated by an educational institution. University of Illinois – Willard Airport, often referred to by its FAA designation “CMI,” was named for former University of Illinois president Arthur Cutts Willard. Formal dedication of the airport took place on October 26, 1945 with the first scheduled airline service in 1954.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign established its nationally recognized Institute of Aviation at University of Illinois – Willard Airport in 1946 before Parkland College took over the program in 2014.
University of Illinois – Willard Airport is served by American Airlines which offers convenient, non-stop service to Chicago O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth. Connections are available from these major hubs to virtually anywhere on the globe.
University of Illinois – Willard Airport is also home to a private jet service: Flightstar.
For facility information of interest to aviators, visit AirNav.com.
