As the November sun shone brightly Wednesday in the Abraham Lincoln Hall at Springfield's airport, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin shared some of his memories of taking connecting flights from his political base here to the nation's capital and beyond.

Among them was hosting his very first fundraiser in 1982 at what was then known as Capital Airport – when Durbin, an adjunct professor at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, was running for Congress in the now-gone 20th Congressional District. Another memory was indirectly helping two lovebirds meet for the very first time.

"Some things happen at the airport that you just can't expect," Durbin said. "At a block party near our home a week ago, a young lady came up and reminded me that it was Springfield (Capital) Airport and me who were responsible for her marriage. She was flying out of here on one of those godforsaken 6:30 a.m. flights with a fellow sitting next to her that she had never met.

I got on the plane at the last second (and) she turns to that guy and said, 'Is that Senator Durbin?' He says, 'It is.' They've been married for 13 years and have three kids, so the airport does wonderful things for individuals."

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Durbin and other local dignitaries shared their stories as part of Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport's 75th anniversary celebration Wednesday in the newly-renovated part of its terminal. Others present included Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder, Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter, Illinois Air National Guard Assistant Adjutant Gen. Dan McDonough and Dale Morris, a government affairs official with American Airlines.

While celebrating the 75th anniversary of the airport, there were opportunities to look toward the facility's future. Many of the officials invited – such as Durbin, Van Meter and Langfelder – played key roles in keeping the airport open through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and thriving through numerous upgrades to the facility.

"Almost all of the state and federal grants we receive has received guidance and support from who I would like to say is our guardian angel, Sen. Durbin," said Frank Vala, chairman of the Springfield Airport Authority board. "Our hometown leader has offered his staff and his time to guide us through the D.C. maze. When you enter the airport up until the time you board your plane, his guidance is visible through all of the upgrades you see. Sen. Durbin, the citizens of Illinois thank you for your continued support."

For Mark Hanna, executive director of the SAA, keeping the airport's momentum going will be a big challenge after all of the anniversary hoopla has died down. He and the airport's governing body have big plans for continued growth, such as upgrades to runways, the installation of a 2.88-megawatt solar array to power facilities on the north end of the property and investing in upgrades to the StandardAero facility on that end, partnering with Lincoln Land Community College on the Levi, Ray & Shoup Aviation Center to train airplane maintenance and mechanics, and investing in a Smart Airport Plan with help from federal funds and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

That last part will aid the airport in providing support for electric-powered aircraft, shifting away from the typical jet fuel-powered engines on passenger airplanes today. With many major airlines beginning to invest in electric planes and alternative fuels, it was only natural for Hanna and Capitol Airport to make their move toward preparing the airport for that future.

"As part of the electrification of airplane motors, we see an opportunity there with our school (the LRS Aviation Center) (and) the available property that we have at the airport," Hanna said. "What this study will do (is) it will check us a lot of the boxes in order to be able to justify additional federal or private investment into the airfield."

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All of these upgrades are important to furthering the airport's goals of making flights as smooth as possible. Hanna said that while the big upgrades are no doubt vital to its future, the airport can focus on doing the little things well to keep people coming back to the low-cost option between Chicago and St. Louis.

"The customer experience is certainly top of mind for us each day," Hanna said. "As we talk about (in the) office, the little things make a difference when people come to the airport. Even the big things may not always get addressed (right now), but they do get fixed or repaired over time. A lot of that is market-driven, as far as, 'How do we get the passengers through here?'"

What it's going to take to keep the airport going another 75 years will depend on keeping everything running smoothly, with the runway renovations and maintenance getting plenty of attention. The airport will be busy with a $23 million upgrade of the crosswind runway that will be completed within the next two-three years, which follows an ongoing safety improvement project on the runways.

Challenging Hanna and the SAA will be navigating an industry forever changed following the COVID-19 pandemic. While regulatory changes pre-COVID have affected the situation greatly, rebuilding the industry following retirements, buyouts and layoffs following the pandemic will impact how the airport moves forward.

"The biggest challenge really isn't for us, (it's) the airline industry itself," Hanna said. "Much of this is due to regulatory changes in the years leading up to COVID and certainly the large amounts of retirements, early buyouts and layoffs coming out of COVID and trying to rebuild to 2019 standards, that has become a large challenge."

Challenges aside, there's excitement about the airport's future, with clean, modern facilities that pay tribute to its namesake and plans for bigger and better things to come. For Hanna, he and SAA are ready for the challenges that will come in a changing industry.

"It's exciting," Hanna said. "There's a lot happening in the industry, there are a lot of challenges (but) it's an exciting time. I just feel very honored and privileged to continue serving the community, the Airport Authority to take on these projects and to really execute the vision of the board that you see for the community going forward."

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport management looks forward to future