With the U.S. population close to 300 million, urban growth puts constant pressure on airport properties. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for DuPage Airport, a general and corporate aviation airport located in West Chicago.
DuPage Airport started out as a grass-landing strip. In 1927, two Chicago entrepreneurs purchased the sheep-grazing land to “barnstorm.” In 1941, the Navy took over the land and used it to train pilots for World War II. The Howard Aircraft Corporation opened a factory on the east side of the airport, where it constructed more than 500 air transport and air ambulance aircraft for the war. But when the war ended, the Navy didn’t need the airport any longer and offered it to DuPage County for one dollar. Not surprisingly, the County accepted.
After the war, the skies became busier. More than 30 airports existed in the Chicagoland area at the time. As housing and commercial development swallowed up airport after airport, DuPage Airport remained, and in the late 70s and 80s became one of the few reliever airports for O’Hare and Midway.
With $45 million in state and local grants, the airport grew from 900 acres to 2,800 acres. This purchase allowed the airport board to control any land development on its vast landholdings, as well as buffer the airport from encroachment by residential or other incompatible development. Safety and noise issues were greatly reduced, and the additional land provided sources of revenue as well. The board’s foresight and proactive land buying have ensured DuPage Airport’s survival.
The airport added new north/south runways, including the second longest runway in Chicagoland at 7,570 feet, an additional instrument landing system, a flight center, a 125-foot control tower and even a championship-style golf course to deal with water drainage and add another source of revenue. The three-story flight center includes travel and pilot services and an FBO owned and run by the airport. The FBO has ranked number one in Illinois over the past three years by subscribers of Aviation International News. Most recently, the airport has used additional surplus land to add a technology-based business park, which is expected to generate 2,000 jobs, $500 million in economic activity and house tenants, such as NASA and the University of Illinois.
“The airport has evolved into a facility that can accommodate any class of aircraft, including the largest corporate business jets,” said David Bird, executive director, DuPage Airport Authority. “So you have seen the fleet mix change substantially away from single-engine piston aircraft to jets.”
As Chicago has grown outward, corporations have moved to the western suburbs, making DuPage Airport an attractive choice for these corporations. Corporate traffic has boosted Jet A use from 46 percent of sales in 1992 to 90 percent today.
“The airport has sole-fueling rights at the airport, which is somewhat unique,” said Bird. “Owning the FBO was a good decision made some years ago; fuel is our largest source of revenue, and it is financing the continued development of the airport.”
For that reason, it has been important for DuPage Airport to affiliate with a premier and trustworthy fuel provider such as ConocoPhillips.
“There has been a long-standing relationship with ConocoPhillips and DuPage Airport,” said Bird. “We believe that the company offers a very high level of customer service. When Hurricane Katrina occurred there was potential for supply to be disrupted, but ConocoPhillips was very responsive to our needs for both information and product.”
Thanks to a foresighted airport board and wise planning, DuPage Airport offers unparalleled infrastructure, top-ranked executive terminal services, 700,000 square feet of hangar space and clean approaches without the traffic of airports, such as O’Hare or Midway. With revenue generators, such as fuel, golf courses and technology parks, DuPage Airport will be a welcome neighbor for decades to come.