Thursday was a big day at Willard Airport in Savoy: American Airlines’ first direct flight to Charlotte took off.
The airline had announced in July that it would begin direct service to Charlotte, marking the company’s third location from C-U, joining Chicago O’Hare and Dallas-Fort Worth. There is one early morning flight from Willard and a return flight from Charlotte in the evening, giving travelers another good reason to Fly Champaign-Urbana.
Charlotte is an international airport, with 160 destinations in 25 countries. Charlotte Douglas Airport recently was ranked No. 2 in the nation by business travelers. More importantly, it gives Willard customers easier access to the East and Southeast, and an alternative to going through Chicago.
Charlotte’s airport is also American Airlines’ second-largest hub, surpassing Chicago and just behind Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Charlotte route adds to the five daily flights to Chicago O’Hare and two daily flights to Dallas-Fort Worth American currently offers to Willard passengers.