Central Illinois Regional Airport

What Central Illinois Regional Airport does

Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA, FAA code BMI) is a public regional airport located in Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois, owned and operated by the Central Illinois Regional Airport Authority (renamed from Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority on May 1, 2025). Established in 1934 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners since the Authority's formation under the Illinois Airport Authorities Act in 1964, CIRA spans approximately 1,950 acres and is staffed by roughly 35 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees. Its core business is operating airfield and terminal infrastructure that enables commercial passenger service, air cargo, and general aviation for the Bloomington-Normal region and surrounding Central Illinois catchment.

The airport's service portfolio comprises commercial passenger flights operated by four airline partners (Allegiant, American, Delta, United) to nonstop destinations including Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando-Sanford, and Tampa/St. Pete-Clearwater, plus seasonal Phoenix-Mesa service. General aviation is supported through ~90 leased hangars and FBO services provided by Synergy Flight Center, while FedEx Express has operated air cargo from CIRA since 2015. Supporting amenities include 2,900+ free parking spaces, free WiFi, a business travel lounge, conference room rentals, dining (Jetstream Restaurant, Turbo Grill), and five on-site car rental brands (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National). Technology is conventional airport infrastructure: real-time flight tracking, TSA screening, FAA Part 139-certified airfield operations, plus a GA tenant portal and digital flight tracker.

CIRA generates revenue through five primary streams: passenger service fees from airlines (landing fees, terminal fees, passenger facility charges), concession revenue sharing (restaurants, gift shop, car rental agencies), hangar rentals to private aircraft owners, cargo operations revenue (primarily FedEx), and conference room rentals. The Authority is funded through a 4-cent-per-$100 property tax levy that has remained unchanged since 1964, supplemented by these operating revenues. In 2023, the airport handled approximately 167,597 enplanements and 167,291 deplanements and supported the movement of 11.6 million pounds of cargo, with the broader airport ecosystem supporting over 1,300 jobs and generating more than $165 million in regional economic output.

Name

Central Illinois Regional Airport

Legal name

Central Illinois Regional Airport

Website

https://cira.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI) is a public regional airport serving Bloomington-Normal with commercial passenger flights via four airlines, FedEx air cargo, and general aviation facilities including hangar rentals and FBO services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Operations and Aviation Services

NAICS

Airport Operations (48811)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Feeder & Hub-Connector Regional Airlines (THABACAA)

Keywords

• Commercial passenger aviation
• Air cargo operations
• General aviation services
• Airport facility management
• Aviation ground services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Passenger Service Fees: Fees collected from commercial airlines operating at the airport including landing fees, terminal fees, and passenger facility charges
2. Concession Revenues: Revenue sharing from terminal concessions including restaurants, gift shops, and rental car agencies operating in the terminal building
3. Hangar Rentals: Leasing of approximately 90 hangars of various sizes to private aircraft owners for aircraft storage
4. Cargo Operations: FedEx air cargo operations generating revenue and supporting regional logistics
5. Conference Room Rental: Hourly, half-day, and full-day rental of conference facilities on the second level of the terminal building

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Central Illinois Regional Airport operates a 1,950-acre public-use regional airport providing commercial scheduled passenger air service via four airline partners (Allegiant, American, Delta, United), air cargo operations anchored by FedEx, and general aviation facilities including approximately 90 hangars and Fixed Base Operator services. The airport also generates ancillary revenue from terminal concessions, free parking, car rentals, conference room rentals, and business travel amenities serving the Bloomington-Normal region of Illinois.

Product overview

Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA/BMI) is a regional airport offering commercial passenger service, general aviation facilities, and air cargo operations. The airport is owned and operated by the Central Illinois Regional Airport Authority. Core services include scheduled commercial airline flights through four airline partners (Allegiant, American, Delta, United) serving nonstop destinations including Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Orlando-Sanford, Tampa/St. Pete, and seasonal Phoenix-Mesa service. General aviation offerings encompass hangar rentals, fueling, maintenance services, and FBO operations through Synergy Flight Center. Air cargo is served by FedEx. Supporting amenities include free parking (2,900+ spaces), conference room facilities, business travel lounge, dining options (Turbo Grill, Jetstream Restaurant, Radar Bar, Route 66 Gifts), and car rentals (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National). Digital services include flight tracking and a GA Tenant Portal. The airport accommodates over 167,000 annual enplanements and handles approximately 11.6 million pounds of cargo annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Passenger Service
• General Aviation Services
• Air Cargo Services
• Business Travel Services
• Conference Room Rental
• Accessibility Services
• Car Rental Services
• Ground Transportation Services
• Terminal Dining and Retail Concessions
• Free Parking Services
• Allegiant Air Service
• American Airlines Service
• Delta Air Lines Service
• United Airlines Service
• Hangar Leasing

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports over 1,400 jobs and generates $165+ million in annual economic output for the region
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FedEx ExpresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015FedEx air cargo operations began at CIRA in 2015, providing expanded FedEx capacity and service in the Central Illinois region. This partnership creates more jobs in the community and injects additional economic dollars into the regional economy.
• Synergy Flight CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe primary FBO (Fixed Base Operator) at CIRA providing aviation services including hangar rental, fueling, aircraft maintenance and repair, flight training, and charter flight operations pre-approval.
• Crosswinds Flying ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides flight lessons and training services for aspiring pilots at CIRA.
• Connect-TransitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublic transportation provider offering bus service via the Tan line with a stop at 'CIRA Terminal,' enabling ground transportation access to Bloomington-Normal area residents.
• Life Multiplied InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development initiative collaborating with business, government, civic and educational sectors in the Bloomington-Normal Metro Region to ensure the economy remains robust, resilient and competitive.
• Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors BureaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with local CVB for regional tourism marketing, promoting hotels, restaurants, and area attractions to airport travelers.
• Illinois State UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal university partner whose cultural events and sports facilities are promoted to airport visitors and travelers.
• Prairie Aviation MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAviation museum located in CIRA Commons at 2929 East Empire Street near the terminal, providing historical aviation exhibits and cultural offerings for visitors.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Signature Flight Support: Global FBO operator that competes with Synergy Flight Center at CIRA and similar regional airports; comparable in providing fueling, hangar, and aircraft services at regional airfields.

Regional players

• Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ): Iowa regional airport authority with similar enplanement scale, FBO operations, and government-owned airport authority structure, though serving a different geography than CIRA.
• Williamson County Regional Airport (MWA): Southern Illinois regional airport authority with a primarily GA and limited commercial profile; comparable governance structure and small headcount operating model to CIRA.

Direct peers

• MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV): Illinois regional airport in the St. Louis metro with Allegiant commercial service and a comparable small-hub feeder profile to CIRA, including free parking and similar catchment dynamics.
• Evansville Regional Airport (EVV): Mid-size regional airport with comparable commercial service count, free-parking positioning, and similar small-hub profile targeting business and leisure travelers within a multi-state catchment.
• Champaign Willard Airport (CMI): Central Illinois regional airport operated by the Champaign County Airport Authority, providing comparable Allegiant and American commercial service and a similar government-owned airport authority governance model to CIRA.
• Greater Peoria Regional Airport (PIA): Illinois regional airport authority offering commercial service via Allegiant, American, and United with comparable passenger scale, similar FAA Part 139 operation profile, and overlapping Central Illinois catchment. Direct structural peer to CIRA.
• Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI): Springfield, Illinois regional airport with similar small-hub commercial service profile, government authority ownership, and overlapping state-region catchment competing for Central Illinois travelers.
• Decatur Airport (DEC): Smaller Illinois regional airport focused on general aviation and limited commercial service, operated as an authority with comparable governance and Central Illinois proximity to CIRA.
• Quad City International Airport (MLI): Illinois-Iowa border regional airport authority with similar scale, multiple airline partners, FBO services, and comparable mix of commercial, GA, and cargo operations as CIRA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FlyCIRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/FlyCIRA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2217188
• Instagraminstagram.com/flycira

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Illinois Regional Airport