Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal – BMI Bloomington
Central Illinois Regional Airport at Bloomington-Normal (BMI) is a public airport in Bloomington, Illinois. It is situated 3 miles from Bloomington and Normal. BMI is also regarded as Central Illinois Regional Airport (CIRA) and is recognized as a primary commercial service airport. In 2010, BMI attended to over 250,000 passengers going to and from Bloomington-Normal. Bloomington and Normal are situated beside each other and are both the primary municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal area.
Best Time to Visit
While Central Illinois Regional Airport serves the main cities of Bloomington and Normal in Illinois, it also caters to many of its surrounding cities including Canton, Groveland, Mossville, Peoria, and Washington to name a few. The airport was conceived in 1927 and one year later, the airfield already had a hangar.
In 2001, BMI opened a new terminal building which cost $14 million and is three times bigger than the old terminal with nine gates. This airport also houses the Prairie Aviation museum and is open to the public with a limited schedule. The museum has modern US Navy and USAF aircrafts on display.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Passengers searching for alternative routes including a domestic and international airport will find that the closest to BMI is the Galesburg Municipal Airport (GBG). While there are no available airport hotels, the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Bloomington - Airport is near the airport with a distance of 0.7 miles. Another good option for visitors is the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Bloomington-Normal Airport, which is only 1.1 miles from BMI and is right across the airport.
