Commercial flights and expanded cargo operations are in the Gary/Chicago International Airport's plans for the future.
Executive director Dan Vicari discussed the airport's next steps while giving a tour to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg last month. He said a recent study showed that there's a market for passenger flights from Gary, and he hopes to be able to start service by the end of the year or the first quarter of 2024.
"An operation to Orlando, Phoenix, Vegas, Houston, Atlanta and Tampa are all viable markets because the people that are living in Northwest Indiana are going to either Midway or O'Hare," Vicari told Buttigieg.
The airport completed a major runway expansion in 2015, which included the relocation of fuel tanks and electrical substations, along with environmental cleanup. Its customs facility celebrated its 400th international arrival this past spring. And federally-funded firefighting equipment is allowing Gary to handle larger aircraft.
Vicari said Gary's become the premier private jet airport for the Chicago area, handling large airplanes carrying sports teams and pop stars. "So Drake had a concert at the United Center the same weekend of the NASCAR streets of Chicago race, and our ramp was full," Vicari said. "Every NASCAR team used our airport, which is great. And then this huge 767 rolls up, and it's painted like clouds and it's got an owl on the tail. It's Drake!"
But the Gary airport's big business remains cargo. The latest round of federal funding included $4 million to build an additional ramp for UPS. Vicari said other Chicagoland airports are running out of space, and a proposed south suburban airport hasn't been built yet.
"It's a cornfield, right? We have the infrastructure right here. We have the utilities. I mean, to think you're going to build an entire new airport, it's like building a city, right? We're already here," Vicari said.
Other projects on the horizon include the replacement of the 1960s-era air traffic control tower, and a federally-funded fuel pipeline to hook into BP's existing line.
