โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
45
minutes
Domestic โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
120
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS/KCPS) is a premier public-use aviation facility located in Cahokia, Illinois, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. Strategically positioned just minutes from the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis city center, it is the busiest general aviation airport in the region and one of the most significant in Illinois. The airport plays a vital role in supporting corporate travel, private aviation, and flight training, being the home base for the Saint Louis University Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
The terminal building is a modern and professional facility that serves as the center for airport administration and passenger services. Inside, visitors will find a welcoming lobby area, multiple pilot's lounges with comfortable seating, and clean restroom facilities. Although the airport does not currently support scheduled commercial airline service, the terminal is designed to handle the needs of transient aviators and corporate personnel with high efficiency. Amenities at CPS include high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the building and a popular on-site restaurant, the Jetway Cafe, which offers a variety of dining options with views of the airfield and the St. Louis skyline.
Operational capacity at St. Louis Downtown Airport is supported by three primary paved runways, with the longest (12R/30L) measuring approximately 7,002 feet in length, which is capable of handling a wide range of regional aircraft and large corporate jets. The airport also boasts world-class support services provided by multiple Fixed-Base Operators (FBOs), including major facilities for Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation. Navigation through the terminal is exceptionally easy due to its compact and logical layout. For ground transportation, the airport is located within a very short drive of downtown St. Louis, with taxi services and private vehicle transfers readily available to transport visitors to their local destinations or hotels.
๐ Connection Tips
St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS) is a strong private-aviation and corporate field, but it is not a scheduled-airline airport, so any connection through it is really a transfer into downtown St. Louis or to a larger commercial airport. The airport's biggest advantage is location. It puts travelers very close to the central business district and riverfront, which makes it highly attractive for business aviation. But that same advantage should not be confused with commercial-network flexibility. If your next segment depends on an airline, that airline is almost certainly somewhere else.
For many travelers, that means St. Louis Lambert becomes the real hub, and the surface transfer between downtown-area private aviation and the commercial airport system is the critical part of the itinerary. Because the airport sits so close to the city core, CPS works beautifully when the destination is downtown. It is less straightforward when the traveler assumes a same-day private-to-airline transfer will be trivial without planning.
Use CPS as a city-access airport, not as an airline-transfer station. Confirm the car service before landing, allow for downtown traffic and cross-metro movement, and if a commercial departure matters later the same day, give yourself more margin than the raw mileage suggests. CPS is efficient for reaching St. Louis quickly. The fragility begins when the trip depends on reconnecting to the scheduled-airline network afterward.
โฐ Minimum Connection Times
Domestic โ Domestic
60
minutes
Domestic โ International
90
minutes
Interline Connections
120
minutes
๐ข Terminal Information
Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, serves as a vital regional gateway to the Lehigh Valley and Eastern Pennsylvania. It offers a less congested and more convenient travel experience compared to larger metropolitan hubs. The airport features a single, modern terminal building spread across two levels, designed for efficient passenger processing and easy navigation. The lower level is dedicated to arrivals, housing baggage claim, car rental counters, and exits to ground transportation. The upper level manages departures, with ticket counters, airline check-in desks, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening checkpoint.
The airport continually invests in enhancing its passenger facilities. A recent TSA Checkpoint Terminal Connector Project has significantly upgraded the security area, incorporating up to four screening lanes, modern escalators and elevators, and an enhanced air purification system. The terminal is structured with two main concourses: Concourse A on the ground level serves airlines like Allegiant Air, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, while Concourse B on the upper level is utilized by United Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
Amenities at ABE are well-appointed for a regional facility, including several cafes and snack bars, shops for essentials and souvenirs, and free Wi-Fi throughout. ABE also offers family-friendly amenities such as a children's play area, a sensory room, and a therapy dog program, along with occasional live music performances, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all travelers.
๐ Connection Tips
Connecting through Lehigh Valley International Airport provides efficient access to Pennsylvania's fourth-busiest passenger facility serving 14 nonstop destinations through Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Frontier Airlines from its renovated single terminal with two-level design. The airport's 14 gates split between ground-level Concourse A (8 gates) and upper-level Concourse B (6 gates) enable quick connections with minimal walking distances, while recent TSA Checkpoint Terminal Connector Project upgrades include four screening lanes, modern escalators, and enhanced air purification systems reducing security wait times to 3-8 minutes with PreCheck or CLEAR enrollment.
Domestic connections benefit from ABE's position as an alternative to crowded Philadelphia, Newark, and JFK airports, offering reliable connectivity to major hubs including Atlanta via Delta, Charlotte via American, Chicago O'Hare via United, and Detroit via Delta for onward domestic and international connections. Regional destinations include popular leisure markets such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando Sanford, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, and Florida Gulf Coast cities through Allegiant's low-cost network, while business travelers utilize American's Charlotte hub and United's Newark and Chicago services for broader network access.
Weather-related disruptions during Northeast winter storms can impact operations, though ABE's modern runway and de-icing equipment maintain better reliability than larger metropolitan airports. Ground transportation includes rental cars, taxis, and ride-sharing services for the 65-mile drive to Philadelphia or 90-mile journey to New York City, while regional bus connections serve Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. The airport's family-friendly amenities including children's play areas, sensory rooms, and therapy dog programs create comfortable connection environments, while free WiFi and dining options support extended layovers in this efficiently designed regional aviation facility.
โ Back to St Louis Downtown Airport