First PIA-Nashville flight to happen as planned

PEORIA, Ill. — Despite the blows brought on by COVID-19, the first flight from Peoria to Nashville is a go.

The inaugural Allegiant service is still scheduled to run Thursday night at 10:15, a nonstop flight scheduled to take an hour and 10 minutes.

“We were very surprised, actually. We thought with the economy the way it was, that was a dead duck,” said General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport Director Gene Olson Wednesday on WMBD’s “The Greg and Dan Show.”

“It’s not full, but it’s still going.”

Olson said it will originally run seasonally, June through November, but it could be expanded.

“They told us if it’s well-utilized, they could extend it for more of the calendar year, into the winter,” he said.

“So, we’re hoping the Central Illinois people respond well to that and use the service.”

With COVID-19 concerns still prevalent, Olson said certain precautions were mandated, like masks upon boarding.

Olson said Allegiant was providing passenger kits consisting of hand sanitizer and a mask.

The PIA-BNA service is set to run on Thursdays and Sundays.