An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $134.4 million since 2002 to keep it operating.

An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $124.5 million since 2002 to keep it operating.

An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $119.5 million since 2002 to keep it operating. Even with pandemic money, 2020 was even worse.

Each year St. Clair County taxpayers must add money to keep MidAmerica St. Louis Airport open. COVID-19 could turn a hefty financial burden into an albatross.

Each year St. Clair County, Illinois, taxpayers must add money to keep MidAmerica St. Louis Airport open. While passenger traffic is increasing, so are expenses.

Local leaders say more passengers will reduce the need for taxpayer money at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. But as traffic rises, so too has the tab for St. Clair County taxpayers.