Reflecting the importance and vitality of the state’s\naviation system, 12 airports have received Airport of the Year awards from the\nIllinois Department of Transportation. The awards were presented last week\nduring the Illinois Public Airports Association Fall Conference in Galena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Aviation is one of the key components that goes into\nmaking Illinois the transportation hub of North America,” said Illinois\nTransportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Our aviation partners take great\npride in the work they do supporting transportation, jobs and quality of life\nin their communities. These awards highlight their efforts as well as those of\nthe entire Illinois aviation community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The facilities were selected because of their\naccomplishments, including an outstanding partnership with IDOT and a strong\ncommitment to customer safety and satisfaction. Among the award considerations\nare cooperation and coordination with the state, safety record, maintenance of\nthe facility, and promotion of aviation and educational events. Due to the\npandemic canceling last year’s conference, awards were based on the\nachievements of the last two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2020 recipients are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2021 recipients are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Illinois is home to almost 100 public-use airports and\nheliports, with nearly 3,000 aircraft registered with the Federal Aviation\nAdministration. The system of airports supports more than 492,000 jobs, with a\ncombined payroll of $21.9 billion and a total economic impact of $95.4 billion.\nAcross the state, there are more than 700 aviation facilities, including\nheliport and grass landing strips as well as balloon, glider and ultra-light\nlanding facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of Rebuild Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic,\nbipartisan and multimodal capital program, IDOT is making critical investments\nin aviation infrastructure, with $150 million identified for the state’s\nairports. This fall, IDOT will be announcing the recipients of $94 million via\nRebuild Illinois to be distributed for airport projects through a competitive\ngrant process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n