On behalf of the team at University of Illinois – Willard Airport, we wish you a happy new year with seamless travel. We continue to be dedicated to making the travel experience better for you. We are investing millions of dollars in the airport experience, with some exciting projects on the horizon.
We welcomed US Senator Dick Durbin to the Airport this fall, as we opened a re-aligned taxiway system at the midfield. The project helps to make it easier for aircraft to navigate the airfield, improving safety and efficiency as aircraft taxi to the runways. The Airport also renamed all the other taxiways too, bringing our airfield to current Federal Aviation Administration standards.
If you rent a car at Willard Airport, you’ll currently find a construction zone. We’re tearing out old rental car counters and building a new rental car center at the southeast end of the terminal. The project will be completed in February. It’s paid for by fees generated through our five rental car agencies who operate at the Airport: Enterprise, Alamo, National, Avis and Budget.
We’re planning three major projects to improve multiple areas of the Airport. Parts of the Airport’s roof needs replacement, as the terminal is over 35 years old. We need to replace two escalators and two elevators in the terminal, too. We’ll be repaving part of the roadway to the terminal along with an employee parking lot. And we’ll be repaving parts of the general aviation aprons where aircraft park.
We also understand that most of our customers come to Willard Airport to go someplace else! With the help of partners, such as the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, we continue to meet one-on-one with airlines, making the business case that we can support more non-stop flights to more places. In 2024, we held close to a dozen airline meetings, and we raised nearly a million dollars in incentive funding for new air service. We’ll continue to meet with airlines, and raise funds, in 2025, as we seek to better connect Central Illinois to the world.
Wishing you safe travels in the new year!
Tim Bannon, A.A.E.
Executive Director
University of Illinois – Willard Airport
