Photo caption: Gary Chicago International Airport
On May 14th, 2023, Gary / Chicago International Airport (GCIA) celebrated its 400th international flight, capping a new key milestone since GCIA opened its U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility in October of 2018. GCIA’s CBP facility has provided the airport the opportunity to expand its state-of-the-art aviation services worldwide. International air travelers now have the ability to fly into GCIA without needing to clear customs elsewhere first.
“Post-pandemic operations have rebounded strongly and are on pace to exceed prior operations,” said GCIA Authority Chairman Pete Visclosky. “While we take this moment to celebrate our 400th international flight landmark, the airport is also committed to continuing to evolve and bolster our offerings for international travel.”
In 2015, the airport began a series of infrastructure investments, starting with the extension of their main runway. GCIA’s runway now extends nearly 9,000 ft – the second longest runway in the region after O’Hare International Airport. This expansion has allowed the airport to service larger, heavier aircraft arriving from national and since GCIA’s CBP facility addition, international destinations. After formally approving a long-term lease and easement agreement with United Parcel Service (UPS) in May of 2020, express air shipment operations began at the airport. These infrastructure investments have allowed GCIA to provide critical and logistical support for the region and truly become a beacon for growth in Northwest Indiana.
“The airport continues to be a pillar for the Northwest Indiana region – ushering in economic development and creating jobs,” said Executive Director Dan Vicari. “Our CBP facility addition, and prior and subsequent infrastructure investments have allowed for the airport to expand upon our operation and service capacity.”
A little over four years after the opening of the CBP facility, GCIA has now averaged approximately seven (7) landings per month from a total of 34 different countries, spanning across four (4) continents.
