MidAmerica St. Louis Airport unveils terminal expansion
“We see a lot of runway and a lot of growth potential here for Allegiant," said Thayne Klingler, Director of Allegiant Airport Operations.
Example video title will go here for this video
Next up in 5
MASCOUTAH, Ill. — Travelers will soon notice a major addition at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker cut the ribbon to officially open a new, $34 million, 41,000 square-foot terminal.
Travelers at MidAmerica can't help but notice the new addition, which nearly doubles the size of the airport while expanding TSA, adding boarding bridges, restrooms and seating.
When MidAmerica opened in 1998, there wasn’t much fanfare.
“There were critics,” said Rep. Jay Hoffman. “There were a lot of critics at the time.”
For years the airport sat largely vacant.
“We were flying, but we weren’t flying like we are today,” said St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern.
Over the past 20 years, more than $125 million in public funding was pumped into MidAmerica to keep the doors open, but Kern said it’s money well spent.
“When this airport opened it kept Scott AFB open,” Kern said. “Much of the expenditure that we’re talking about was needed to build a 10,000-foot runway that Scott needed.”
The return of Allegiant Airlines in 2012 ushered in a new era at MidAmerica, which hosted more than 300,000 travelers in 2022.
“People like non-stop flights and they like the experience they get when they come to the airport,” Kern said.
A now-completed terminal expansion is promising to enhance that experience by adding amenities.
Now many are asking if the expansion will it bring more flights.
“The opportunity here is beyond passenger air, which is very important, and has been growing on its own,” Pritzker said. “This is something people ought to recognize. This isn’t like we’re pumping money in and hoping something good will happen. Things are already happening.”
“We’re looking forward to the years ahead,” Allegiant Air's Thayne Klingler said. “We see a lot of runway, and a lot of growth potential here for Allegiant, so stay tuned.”
This isn't the only expansion happening at MidAmerica.
Source: KSDK.com
