Chicago Rockford International Airport’s achievements highlighted in past year, decade

ROCKFORD — The Chicago Rockford International Airport marked its 10th year as an international port on a positive note, according to a Northwest Herald article.

“That 2004 designation helped the airport find its growing niche for leisure travel, which now sees more than 250,000 people a year taking vacation flights to warm places. It also expanded the airport’s status as a major hub for cargo flights, evidenced in part by the 600,000-square-foot UPS operation on the its grounds,” the Dec. 12 story states.

Executive Director Mike Dunn highlights “convenience, commerce and jobs” from the more than $90 million in improvements there over the past two years.

Paul Cicero, chairman of the Greater Rockford Airport Authority, also wrote a guest column in the Dec. 14 Rockford Register Star to show the airport’s commitment to being a driver of economic opportunity for the Rockford Region and thank the community for its strong support.

“Collaboration and partnership have been the cornerstones of those efforts,” Cicero writes as he highlights 2014 successes, from AAR Corp. to Rock Valley College’s aviation program to AirFest.