Mark Hanna knew the first question at the Citizens Club of Springfield’s Dec. 19 public policy forum regarding the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport would be something along the lines of, “Any new commercial airline routes coming soon?”
Not much to report, Hanna said, although there have been some preliminary talks about possible Allegiant Airlines routes to Las Vegas, Phoenix and some destinations in Florida. As it stands, only three commercial airlines – American, Breeze and Allegiant – offer regular or semi-regular flights from Springfield to three cities – Chicago, Orlando and Punta Gorda, Florida.
And the longtime airport director spoke plainly to attendees at the Hoagland Center for the Arts as to why there isn’t much commercial airline activity.
“Since I’ve lived here, I don’t think the population sign you see on the road for Springfield has changed. And that’s not funny,” Hanna said. “Loads are not well. American Airlines changed their schedule (to) what we have given the community, the schedule that they begged and pleaded for, and I can’t sit here right now and tell you that it’s been a massive success. The schedule the community has asked for? It’s not working. You guys aren’t filling the seats. So I can’t imagine us going to American Airlines and saying, ‘Hey, let’s add Dallas or Charlotte or Phoenix or what have you.’”
Hope always sells, though, which is why Hanna spoke with what seemed like real enthusiasm about a new initiative for the airport. While it’s not quite out of “The Jetsons,” it involves hybrid aircraft – part fossil fuel, part electric power – which, if the engineers get it all right, would provide multiple flights per day on legacy airlines such as United for service of up to 30 passengers at a time from Springfield to Chicago.
There could also be four-passenger aircraft – known as Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing – from Springfield to Chicago, but they wouldn’t have to land at O’Hare or Midway. They could land at designated spots right downtown or close by.
The cost? Maybe $150 one-way, which would be about half the fares currently offered on American. While none of the new aircraft will be available until the end of the decade at the earliest, plans are well underway to give the airport better footing for the future.
“This dovetails into (commercial) air service,” Hanna said. “The roadmap for us going into the future is to be able to accept and develop some of these new technologies that are coming on board. These manufacturers are moving into developing electric propellant engines for these new aircraft. They have already struck deals with Mesa and United Airlines to order some of these aircraft, these 30-seat aircraft for passengers. And, that’s the perfect size for a market like Springfield, to reinstate more frequency to places like Chicago.”
Hanna said the Springfield Airport Authority has filed grant applications for increased electrical capacity for these advanced air mobility vehicles, which would be provided by City Water, Light and Power, or potentially a new utility that wants to get in the game.
“We want to be on the cutting edge of the technology and ready when these vehicles come available,” Hanna said. “This is a worldwide race with these kinds of aircraft.”
Springfield might already have a leg up on competing regional airports when it comes to electrical efficiencies. A solar farm already serves the northern side of the airport, with another coming online soon that will help power other buildings. When the added power needed to service the new hybrid aircraft is due, Springfield’s existing, less-costly infrastructure could convince airlines to make Capital Airport their hub of choice.
“Springfield is fortunate that the buildings the Airport Authority is offering will be primarily served by its solar systems,” said Susan Zellers, senior project manager and aviation planning lead at Hanson Professional Services Inc., which could partner with the airport on the new initiatives. “They won’t have to add any (power) needs to that.”
For such aircraft to be fully functional for commercial and private use, such as air ambulances or charter travel, more electric power will have to be generated, probably up to three megawatts for the passenger hybrid planes and one megawatt for the smaller ones. But, Hanna said, he doesn’t foresee that being added to any CWLP customer bills. Government grants and private funding likely would pay for it.
“The reason I’m so excited about this is because our application in this pilot program is the only one from the state of Illinois,” Hanna said. “The airports in Chicago have endorsed (it) and will participate in our program. What does that mean for Springfield? It means jobs, high-tech investment here at the airport, and we can really collaborate with the general aviation community and move into the next generation of these new technologies.”
Which, in turn, could spur population growth in the city and better fill those airplane loads that Hanna said have been lacking.
“I need you all to tell me what the silver bullet is, so I can tell American (Airlines) I need three or four flights (to Chicago) or I need Dallas back and be able to tell them that I can put 75-80% load factors on these planes, with the majority of them being business travelers that are flying at least a couple times a month,” Hanna said.
“That’s not the case right now.”
Adrian Dater, a longtime former sportswriter in Denver and author of seven books, moved to Springfield in 2023 to get his first taste of life in the Midwest.
This article appears in December 25-31, 2025.
