The airport broke monthly passenger records from July through October. 535-thousand people flew in and out of the airport so far this year. 

 

Now, the airport is continuing with its goal to provide international commercial flights. The first step in that process is to renovate the former Postal and Coding Center to temporarily accept international flights. Airport Director Gene Olson says the airport has hit a snag in that development.

 

“Customs does not have the staff to be able to put people in Peoria. And we’re working every avenue that we have available to us to try to get that question solved, so that we can get some staffing for customs and so that they can come down here and work some international flights. That’s really the linchpin,” says Olson. 

 

Olson says airport officials are lobbying Congress to pay for the necessary U.S Customs staff. The airport’s long-term goal is to build a permanent international terminal at the east end of the airport. At least one airline has expressed interest in bringing an international flight from Mexico to Peoria.