Ruth Haines
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (IATA: BLV, ICAO: KBLV, FAA LID: BLV) opened in 1997, though one source states it was officially opened in November 1997. The airport is located near Scott Air Force Base, 18 nautical miles from downtown St. Louis. It was built to relieve crowding at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, which was a booming passenger hub in the late 1980s. However, MidAmerica Airport initially struggled to attract airlines and passengers, leading to criticism and negative media coverage.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | MidAmerica St. Louis Airport |
| Location | Mascoutah, Illinois, United States |
| Year Built | 1997 |
| Cost | $300 million |
| Funding | Two-thirds federal funding |
| Purpose | To alleviate crowding at St. Louis Lambert International Airport |
| Type | Public-use airport |
| Joint-use | Scott Air Force Base |
| Distance from St. Louis | 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) |
| Distance from Belleville | 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) |
| County | St. Clair County |
| State | Illinois |
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What You'll Learn
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport opened in 1997
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport opened in November 1997, in Mascoutah, St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The airport is located 18 nautical miles (33 km) east of downtown St. Louis and 14 nautical miles (26 km) east of Belleville's central business district. The airport was built at a cost of over $300 million, with more than two-thirds of it funded by the federal government.
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was envisioned as a reliever airport to the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which was facing congestion issues. However, the airport initially struggled to attract passenger airlines and was criticised as a pork barrel project. It was even featured on Tom Brokaw's "Fleecing of America" series on NBC News, where it was called a Gateway to Nowhere.
Despite the initial challenges, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport has grown and evolved over the years. In 2000, Pan American Airways began operating at the airport, offering flights to small airports near Chicago and Orlando, Florida. In 2012, Allegiant Air restarted service at the airport, and passenger service has increased since then, with flights to 12 destinations. In 2018, the airport was named "Airport of the Year" for airports that see more than 10,000 passengers annually by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The airport has also attracted businesses such as Boeing Defense, Space & Security and North Bay Produce, which have facilities on-site. Boeing uses the facility for sub-assemblies for multiple military aircraft, and North Bay Produce ships blueberries from Michigan and Chile into the airport using a refrigerated warehouse. In 2020, the airport received $6.5 million in federal grants to expand its terminal, and Boeing announced plans to build three new facilities and an MQ-25 production facility at the airport, representing a $1 billion investment.
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The airport cost over $300 million to build
The MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, also known as Belleville–St. Louis Airport, opened in Mascoutah, Illinois, in November 1997. The airport, which is located next to Scott Air Force Base, was built at a cost of over $300 million, with more than two-thirds of the funding coming from federal sources.
The airport was envisioned as a reliever airport to the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which was experiencing congestion issues as a hub for Trans World Airlines (TWA). However, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport initially struggled to attract airlines and passengers, leading to criticism and its label as a "Gateway to Nowhere" by Tom Brokaw. The airport was featured on Brokaw's "Fleecing of America" series on NBC News, highlighting the high cost to taxpayers.
Despite the initial challenges, MidAmerica Airport has seen an increase in passenger service and recognition in recent years. Allegiant Air restarted service in 2012, offering flights to 12 destinations, and the airport was named "Airport of the Year" for airports with more than 10,000 passengers annually by the Illinois Department of Transportation in 2018. In 2021, a Bureau of Transportation study found it to be among the nation's five least expensive airports.
The airport continues to develop, with Boeing investing in new facilities and the expansion of the passenger terminal. The airport's connection to the St. Louis area's light-rail system, MetroLink, is also in the works, which will improve its accessibility and convenience for travellers.
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It was built to reduce crowding at St. Louis Lambert International Airport
The MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, also known as Belleville–St. Louis Airport, was built to reduce crowding at the larger St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Located 18 nautical miles east of downtown St. Louis, the airport opened in November 1997. It is a joint-use airport, built at a cost of over $300 million, with more than two-thirds of it funded by the federal government.
MidAmerica Airport was envisioned as a reliever airport to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which was a booming passenger hub for Trans World Airlines (TWA) in the late 1980s. In 1993, TWA moved its headquarters to St. Louis, making Lambert its main hub. However, by the time MidAmerica Airport opened in 1997, St. Louis was no longer a major airline hub, and passenger growth had stagnated, rendering congestion less of an issue.
Despite this change, MidAmerica Airport pushed forward, and in 1998, the airport was featured on Tom Brokaw's "Fleecing of America" series on NBC News due to its inability to attract a passenger airline. In 2000, Pan American Airways announced plans to fly from MidAmerica to small airports near Chicago and Orlando, Florida, with the first scheduled passenger flight taking off in August of that year. However, Pan Am ceased flights to and from MidAmerica in December 2001, citing sluggish ticket sales.
In the following years, MidAmerica Airport struggled to attract airlines and passengers, leading to criticism as a costly failure. However, in 2012, Allegiant Air restarted service, offering flights to 12 destinations, and passenger numbers began to increase. In 2018, the airport recorded 302,409 passengers, and in 2021, a Bureau of Transportation study found it among the nation's five least expensive airports. Additionally, MidAmerica Airport has become an important site for Boeing, with the company using the facility for sub-assemblies for multiple military aircraft and test-flying drones for the U.S. Navy.
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MidAmerica Airport was considered a failure in its early years
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport opened in November 1997 in Mascoutah, Illinois, as a secondary domestic passenger airport for the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The airport was envisioned as a reliever airport to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which was facing limited capacity issues. However, in its early years, MidAmerica Airport struggled to attract passenger airlines and was criticised as a pork barrel project.
In its inaugural year, the airport failed to lure any passenger airlines, leading to its feature on Tom Brokaw's "Fleecing of America" series on NBC News, where it was dubbed a ""Gateway to Nowhere." The airport's high construction cost of over $300 million, with more than two-thirds funded by taxpayers, further fuelled criticism.
In July 2000, Pan American Airways began operations at the airport, marking the airport's first scheduled passenger flight. However, the events of 9/11 and the subsequent decline in air travel hit the airline hard, and they ceased operations at the airport in December 2001. Great Plains Airlines launched service in October 2003 but filed for bankruptcy in January 2004, halting flights to MidAmerica shortly after.
TransMeridian Airlines began service in November 2004, but they also faced financial troubles and ceased operations in September 2005. Allegiant Air, which started serving the airport in April 2005, suspended service from 2009 to 2012. During these early years, the airport struggled with low passenger numbers and financial challenges, leading to its perception as a failure.
However, in recent years, MidAmerica Airport has experienced a turnaround. Allegiant Air's return in 2012 with flights to 12 destinations boosted passenger numbers. In 2018, the airport was named "Airport of the Year" for airports with more than 10,000 passengers annually by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The airport has also attracted companies like Boeing and North Bay Produce to establish facilities on-site, diversifying its revenue streams.
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The airport has since been named Airport of the Year
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, also known as Belleville–St. Louis Airport, opened in November 1997. It is located 18 nautical miles (33 km) east of downtown St. Louis and 14 nautical miles (26 km) east of Belleville, Illinois. The airport was built at a cost of over $300 million, with more than two-thirds of it funded by the federal government.
In the years following its opening, MidAmerica Airport was considered a failure, with low passenger numbers and high costs. The airport was criticised as a pork barrel project and dubbed a "'Gateway to Nowhere'" by Tom Brokaw. However, things have changed, and the airport has since been named Airport of the Year.
In 2018, MidAmerica Airport was recognised as the "Airport of the Year" for airports that see more than 10,000 passengers annually by the Illinois Department of Transportation. This award came after a significant increase in passenger numbers, with the airport recording 302,000 total passengers in 2018, compared to an average of just under 35,000 passengers per year between 2005 and 2010. The airport's resurgence can be attributed to several factors, including the expansion of services by airlines such as Allegiant Air, which restarted service in 2012, offering flights to 12 destinations.
The airport has also benefited from its proximity to Scott Air Force Base and the presence of companies such as Boeing and North Bay Produce, which have facilities on-site. Boeing, in particular, has made significant investments in the airport, including the construction of a new MQ-25 production facility, representing a $1 billion investment. In addition, the airport has received federal grants to expand its terminal, with the first two phases of a four-phase expansion project completed or underway as of 2021.
The improvements at MidAmerica Airport have been recognised beyond the "Airport of the Year" award. In 2021, a Bureau of Transportation study found it to be among the nation's five least expensive airports. The airport has also been included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, which categorised it as a primary commercial service airport due to its passenger numbers.
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Frequently asked questions
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was opened in November 1997.
The airport was built to alleviate crowding at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
The IATA code for MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is BLV.
The airport was built at a cost of over $300 million, with more than two-thirds of it funded by the federal government.
The airport's first scheduled passenger flight took off in August 2000.
