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Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport

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Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (IATA: SPI, ICAO: KSPI, FAA LID: SPI) is a civil-military airport in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States, three miles (6 km) northwest of downtown Springfield. It is owned by the Springfield Airport Authority (SAA).[1]

Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorSpringfield Airport Authority
ServesSpringfield, Illinois
LocationSangamon County, Illinois, U.S.
OpenedNovember 1947; 77 years ago (November 1947)
Occupants183rd Wing
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (-6)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (-5)
Elevation AMSL598 ft / 182 m
Coordinates39°50′39″N 089°40′41″W / 39.84417°N 89.67806°W / 39.84417; -89.67806
Websitewww.FlySPI.com
Maps
FAA airport diagram
FAA airport diagram
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4/22 8,001 2,439 Concrete
13/31 7,400 2,256 Asphalt
Statistics
Aircraft operations (2022)25,915
Based aircraft (2022)93
Passenger volume (12 months ending March 2020)145,000
Scheduled flights1,761

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2023–2027 categorized it as a non-hub primary commercial service facility.[3]

It is the seventh busiest airport of the 12 commercial airports in Illinois.[2]

History

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The airport was dedicated in November 1947 under the name "Capital Airport." It came after pressure to construct a modern facility, as American Airlines and Chicago & Southern Airlines had canceled flights to Springfield in 1938 and 1939 respectively due to inadequate facilities at Capital Airport's predecessor. Construction on the new airport was begun soon after those cancellations but was delayed due to World War II.[4][5]

The original airport had three 5300-foot runways, a service apron, a temporary passenger terminal, and T-hangars for 38 aircraft.[4]

Two units of the Illinois National Guard were stationed at the airport in 1946, and one of them remains at the airport today.[4][5]

In 2018, the airport embarked on an upgrade of its passenger terminal after receiving nearly $7 million from the Airport Improvement Program, a grant sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration. The airport also worked to improve general aviation facilities like the FBO and hangars; roadways; and parking lots.[6][7]

The coronavirus pandemic brought about airline suspensions at the airport, marking a significant downturn of traffic through the airport. Airlines returned service as travel picked up and after receiving money from the federal CARES Act to prop up flights.[8]

The Illinois Department of Transportation named SPI the top primary airport in the state in 2020. The department considered things such as how well the airport worked with the state's Division of Aeronautics, the airport's safety record, promotion of aviation and educational events and general maintenance.[9]

In 2021, the airport received $3 million in funding from the State of Illinois to upgrade facilities during the travel downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The funds went towards rehabilitating the north airport public parking lot and the north airport roadway. The airport also began constructing a new crosswind runway in 2021 to accommodate more traffic in a wider variety of wind conditions.[10][11] In 2022, runway 18-36 was removed.

The airport is taking significant steps to prepare their facilities to accommodate electric-powered aircraft. The airport broke ground on a solar energy farm in 2022 to increase the role of renewable energy in powering the airport, with the goal of powering over 90% of the airport's needs with renewables.[12][13]

Military use

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The airport is home to Capital Airport Air National Guard Station, a 91-acre (370,000 m2) facility on land leased from the Springfield Airport Authority (SAA). It is home to the 183d Fighter Wing (183 FW), an Illinois Air National Guard unit operationally gained by the Air Combat Command (ACC) and State Headquarters, Illinois Air National Guard. Historically a fighter unit, the 183 FW consists of 321 full-time and 800 part-time military personnel (total strength 1,321).[citation needed]

Facilities and aircraft

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The airport covers 2,300 acres (930 ha) at an elevation of 598 feet (182 m). It has two runways: 4/22 is 8,001 by 150 feet (2,439 x 46 m) concrete; and 13/31 is 7,400 by 150 feet (2,256 x 46 m) asphalt.[1][14]

In the year ending July 31, 2022, the airport had 25,915 aircraft operations, average 71 per day: 64% general aviation, 20% military, 15% air taxi, and 2% commercial. For the same time period, 93 aircraft were based at the airport: 69 single-engine and 6 multi-engine airplanes, 12 jets, 4 helicopters, 1 glider, and 1 ultralight.[1]

The airport has an FBO offering fuel, general maintenance, catering, hangars, courtesy cars, conference rooms, a crew lounge, snooze rooms, and more.

Terminal services

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The airport terminal has a Subway, a gift shop, an automated teller machine, TV, and a lounge.

Ground transportation

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Sangamon Mass Transit District, the operator of public transit in Springfield, does not serve the airport as of 2023.

Airlines and destinations

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AirlinesDestinations
Allegiant Air Punta Gorda (FL)
American Eagle Chicago–O'Hare
Breeze Airways Orlando[15]
Seasonal: Tampa[16]

Allegiant Air and Breeze Airways use mainline jets to service the airport; American Eagle flights from Springfield use regional jets.

The airport was previously served by Ozark Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-10s, DC-9-30s and Fairchild Hiller FH-227s to St. Louis and Chicago O'Hare Airport. Air Illinois flew BAC One-Elevens (to St. Louis and Chicago) and also served the airport with Hawker Siddeley HS 748s, Handley Page Jetstreams and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters. Air Illinois HS 748s flew nonstop among other routes to the now-closed Meigs Field on the lakefront next to downtown Chicago.

Statistics

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Carrier shares

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Carrier shares (September 2023 – August 2024)[2]
Rank Carrier Passengers % of market
1 Air Wisconsin 40,280 40.20%
2 Allegiant 32,820 40.53%
3 Breeze 27,100 27.04%

Top destinations

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Busiest domestic routes from SPI
(September 2023 – August 2024)[2]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 19,150 American
2 Punta Gorda, Florida 16,510 Allegiant
3 Orlando–International, Florida 7,070 Breeze
4 Tampa, Florida 6,520 Breeze

Accidents and incidents

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  • On December 20, 2007, a Beechcraft Bonanza crashed in Springfield while en route to SPI. The pilot reported a problem while flying the Instrument Landing System approach and deviated from the approach, flying around until crashing. The probable cause was found to be loss of control during an instrument approach due to spatial disorientation.[17]
  • On January 6, 2011, a Learjet 35A crashed while landing at SPI. The crew reported the aircraft's master warning and stick shaker activated when the aircraft was on short final while flying an instrument approach procedure. The aircraft impacted left of the runway centerline before departing the right side of the runway. The two pilots received minor injuries, and the passengers were uninjured. The probable cause of the accident was found to be the pilot's decision to conduct an instrument approach in icing conditions without the anti-ice system activated, resulting in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall due to in-flight accumulation of airframe icing.[18]
  • On January 27, 2020, a twin-engine Piper Aerostar aircraft crashed outside SPI after takeoff en route for Huntsville, Alabama. Officials reported at the time that the aircraft was having trouble with its instruments. Former Springfield mayor Frank Edwards and then-current Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards were among those killed in the crash.[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d FAA Airport Form 5010 for SPI PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. effective December 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "RITA BTS Transtats - SPI". www.transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "NPIAS Report 2023-2027 Appendix A" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. October 6, 2022. p. 44. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport". Sangamon County History. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "In The Land of Lincoln… Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, Springfield, Illinois". MidwestFlyer.com. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  6. ^ "SPI Passenger Terminal Project Moves Forward". Aviation Pros. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  7. ^ "Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport Breaks Ground on Major Capital Improvement Projects". Aviation Pros. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "Springfield Airport Authority Welcomes the Return of American Airlines to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI)". Aviation Pros. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  9. ^ "Springfield's Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport named top commercial airport in 2020 by IDOT". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  10. ^ "Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport gets $3 million for improvements". ABC News Channel 20. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  11. ^ "Springfield airport gets last bit of funding to complete Phase 2 of runway project". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "As Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport celebrates 75 years, management looks toward the future". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  13. ^ "Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport breaks ground for solar project". ABC News Channel 20. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  14. ^ "SPI airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "Breeze Airways bringing new service to Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport". Springfield State Journal-Register. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  16. ^ Grant, Claire (July 9, 2024). "Popular low-cost airline temporarily ending route from Springfield". Springfield State Journal-Register. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  17. ^ "N17784 accident description". Plane Crash Map. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  18. ^ "ASN". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
  19. ^ "Former mayor, Sangamon Co. coroner among 3 dead in twin engine plane crash near Springfield airport, sheriff says". ABC 7 Chicago. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
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