Latest news with #GeneOlson
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Central Illinois Airports enforcing Real ID policy
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Real ID deadline is here, and airports in central Illinois and across the U.S. have started to enforce this policy. A Real ID is a security measure 20 years in the making, as Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission for the Federal Government to 'set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.' 'It's been coming for a long time, but they finally drew a line in the sand and said, 'Look, we're not going to extend the deadline any more,'' said Gene Olson, director of airports for the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport. If you don't have a Real ID, it's not the end of the world. However, you may want to be extra prepared and get to the airport earlier. 'You can still get on a plane without a real ID,' Olson said, 'but it will take extra time because they're going to take steps to verify who you are. It may take as much as an hour for that to happen.' Most airports are operating smoothly on the first day of the REAL ID requirement Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington is enforcing this policy as well, and Melissa Beaver, director of marketing and communications, said the implementation has gone smoothly. But, some people are still worried. 'I think a lot of passengers have been worried because they haven't been able to get in line to get the Real IDs,' Beaver said. The real goal of the Real ID is to make sure travelers can get to their destinations safely. 'No one wants you to miss your flight or not travel,' Beaver said. 'So just be prepared with extra forms of ID and extra levels of screening.' If you only have a temporary Real ID, that won't suffice. You will need the plastic Real ID card or you will need to bring your previous license, that isn't expired, with you. PIA is hosting a mobile DMV event on Tuesday for people to get the identification cards if they haven't yet, and it is by appointment only. To book an appointment, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Peoria airport hits all-time record passenger numbers in March
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The records keep falling when it comes to total passengers at the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport. The Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria announced that March had the highest number — 71,988 — of passengers flying in and out of the airport. The old record was in July 2019 when 68,447 flew in and out of the airport. It also beat the old monthly all time high by more than 5%, said Gene Olson, Director of Airports for the authority. 'We knew that March was going to put up some impressive numbers, based on the activity in our parking lots, and we suspected we might set a record,' he said. 'But we didn't anticipate breaking the all-time monthly record, and we didn't foresee setting the record by that large of a margin.' He added the airlines have been adding frequencies to the destinations we already served and adding new destinations. 'We're grateful to the folks in Central Illinois who have been using those additional flights,' he said. 'People have really been supporting our existing flights, and we're seeing great usage of both our low-cost Denver weekly flights and our new daily Denver flights on United.' The airport has seen increasing numbers which have exceeded the pre-Covid monthly averages since last June. In 2024 alone, the airport set monthly records in August, September, November, and December. They set a record this past January but fell short by just over 500 passengers in February which was likely due to snow-related cancellations at the hub airports. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How local airports deal with snowy conditions
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Snow impacts nearly every facet of our lives, and travel is no exception. For airport workers, clearing the runways and making sure planes are able to fly is paramount. While the snow that came down this week in central Illinois wasn't as significant as first thought, it still required an all-day effort from airport workers. Gene Olson is the Director of Airports for the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport and said the swift response time is necessary. 'As soon as the snow starts to cover the markings on the pavement, we get out there and start working on it because the pavement markings tell things to pilots, and they have to be able to see that,' he said. In terms of snow maintenance, Olson said the two main focal points are the pavement and the planes themselves. He said taking care of the planes is complex, as factors such as what kind of precipitation is coming down, the temperature and the water content are all taken into account. From there, a holdover time needs to be calculated quickly. 'From the time when they de-ice an aircraft, they only have a certain number of minutes based on those calculations to get that aircraft off the ground,' he said. Once the plane is in the air, Olson said the heat from the engines plus the air compression makes it a lot easier to keep the ice off. For the pavement, Olson said they can't use salt, as it can corrode the planes that are mostly made of aluminum. Instead, they use a potassium acetate liquid to prevent ice. If ice and snow have already accumulated, Olson said they use sodium acetate pellets that can eat through the snow and ice. When snow or freezing rain is falling, Olson said conditions are assessed at least once every hour. From there, they file a 'Notice to Air Missions,' or NOTAM, which goes out to a national network, so pilots know what to expect before they land. Melissa Beaver is the Manager of Marketing and Communications at the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, often shortened to CIRA. She said similar things to Olson, mainly about how it's 'all hands on deck' from the time the snow starts, and that there's a checklist for maintenance items all day. In terms of de-icing the planes and treating the pavement, it's roughly the same. For passengers, Beaver said to be patient and stay in touch with the airport, as delays and cancellations may not be related to CIRA, but the destination airport. For passengers, Olson said to be 'patient and flexible' when flying in inclement weather and to arrive early to avoid any potential trouble. Something that has popped up recently, according to Olson, is people arriving later due to airlines notifying people of delayed plane arrivals. 'That can cause problems because the ticket counter might be closed when they get here. Think about whether you should adjust your arrival time based on that email. You might want to still get here in plenty of time,' he said. Olson also recommends people join frequent flyer clubs, even if they don't fly a lot. He said they are 'great' for receiving information from airlines. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
