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MidAmerica Airport reinvents itself after landing Volga-Dnepr

RUSSIA's Volga-Dnepr Airlines is breathing new life into MidAmerica Airport that was once considered a "white elephant" or "gateway to nowhere" as it is now busier than ever and is receiving lots of calls from other customers.

The airport, formerly Scott Air Force Base, across the Mississippi River in Mascoutah, Illinois, 40 miles east of St Louis, Missouri, now has eight destinations, with 25 flights a week, and 6,000 people coming through.

"We had the N-124 here from Volga-Dnepr (Airlines). They came by flying a unique air cargo, saying we have a pickup from Perryville. A saberliner for helicopter and this helicopter needs to go to Jordan, but the airplanes coming out of Afghanistan. Can you host that? Yes, we can," Mid-America Airport director Tim Cantwell told Fox News.

MidAmerica is a joint-use airport with Scott Air Force Base and owns all its own equipment. "An international operator can walk in and ask what rates and charges are there, times that we're open, can you get me through customs, tower times, where can I park; we're a one stop shop," Mr Cantwell said.

"I'm still in conversations with Volga-Dnepr for more flights and they're talking to other people about opportunities they have and experiences they had here," he said.

"MidAmerica is a great place to come, said spokesman for Volga-Dnepr, Colon Miller. "It's wide open. There is good ramp space. Great place to operate airplanes."

Mr Cantwell said the international cargo market is untapped and could be huge for MidAmerica. At the moment, airport is just above zero on operating costs. The goal is start paying down its bond debt.

In 2007, there were plans for an "airbridge" to Indonesia. Later that year Centurion Airlines brought seven shipments of seed corn. In 2009, there were plans to have flights from China link up with flower shipments from South America.

In 2010, hopes for a China trade were fading, despite building facilities for perishables that year. In 2011, there was a tax credit scheme to lure Chinese aircrafts which was bitterly opposed by rival Kansas City and St Lambert airport interests.

In 2013, there was a mutual promotion deal with Ningbo, but not much since. What action there's been since has centred on rival Lambert-St Louis International Airport where a perishable facility was built in 2015, which also handles live animals, high value shipments, express and general cargo with a focus on the trade between the United States and Latin America.