Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn congratulated the winners of IDOT's "Airports of the Year."
Whiteside County Airport in Sterling and Rock Falls was awarded “General Aviation Airport of the Year," based on its safety records, maintenance, and coordination with IDOT on management and promoting aviation events.
O’Hare airport was named “Primary Airport of the Year."
Illinois has one of the largest aviation systems in the country, with more than 830 landing facilities in the state.
Previous IDOT studies show aviation contributes almost 41 billion dollars to the state’s economy each year.