Airport

News

Note: While new flight options or destinations may make the news, the termination of options or the dropping of destinations rarely does. The robustness of connectivity cannot be tracked by news coverage.

• 2012-01
  • Ford Airport passenger numbers soar to record high in 2011
• 2014-04
  • New air alliance between Ford Airport, business community aims to lower travel costs
• 2014-05
  • American Airlines to offer additional non-stop flights at Ford Airport as merger continues
    • "Airport leaders announced American Airlines will launch twice daily flights to Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C., beginning Sept. 3, complementing service to Chicago and Dallas. US Airways' regional affiliate will operate the routes until American Airlines completes its merger and finalizes route maps. "
• 2014-06
  • Officials: Gerald R. Ford International Airport is 'competitive,' new air alliance to continue trend
• 2014-09
  • Ford Airport makes changes to stay competitive
• 2015-01
  • Ford Airport's 2014 passenger traffic cruises to new record high
    • "Airport officials announced 2,335,105 passengers traveled to and from Ford Airport last year. The figure, disclosed Tuesday, Jan. 20, breaks the airport's previous record of about 2.28 million trips set in 2011."
  • Ford Airport shows off renovated concourse, new tap room: Get a 360-degree view
• 2015-02
  • Bitter January doesn't stop Ford Airport flier numbers from soaring
    • "Gerald R. Ford International reports 181,049 passengers traveled to and from the hub last month versus 157,504 fliers in January 2014, a 15 percent increase."
• 2015-03
  • Delta cuts flights at Ford Airport, but will fly bigger planes to Detroit
  • New roof over Ford Airport's parking garage covers 1,113 spaces during winter
  • 20 years overdue, Ford Airport economic impact study reveals $3.1B annual contribution
• 2015-04
  • Ford Airport records busiest travel month ever. (MLIVE)
    • New All-time monthly passenger record of 231,138.
• 2015-06
  • Allegiant reestablishes nonstop service from West Michigan to South Florida, MLIVE
• 2015-08
  • Ford Airport continues new design push with refreshed website, MLIVE
  • Allegiant Air reintroduces Grand Rapids to Florida route with low fares, MLIVE
• 2015-12
  • Construction on $45M Ford Airport project to begin next week, MLIVE
  • Airport starting 2016 on a high note, GRBJ
    • "GFIA experiences a 10 percent to 12 percent surge in annual passenger counts."
• 2016-01
  • Michigan airport shatters all-time passenger record, MLIVE
• 2017-03
  • Airport breaks monthly passenger record, again.
• 2017-06
  • Grand Rapids airport opens new security checkpoint, part of $45M project, MLIVE
• 2017-07
  • Frontier Airlines to fly out of Grand Rapids again, MLIVE
  • Ford airport welcomes back airline, GRBJ
    • Frontier airlines last served Grand Rapids in 2013. Direct air service will be provided to Denver and Orlando.
    • note: This brings the number of direct service destinations to ~23; including service by SouthWest to Midway Airport which provides ~63 destinations. Midway is also easily reachable by rail service (Amtrak Pere Marquette + CTA Orange Line). Additionally, Chicago O'Hare airport is reachable by rail (Amtrak Pere Marquette + CTA Blue Line or Metra North Central Service). The trip to O'Hare is longer and, especially during winter months, O'Hare is prone to severe on-time performance issues. Less than half of flights in January or February depart O'Hare on-time.
• 2017-09
  • Nearly half of Grand Rapids airport's $45M makeover paid with private money, MLIVE
    • So . . . more than half was not private money.
• 2017-10
  • Popular destinations from West Michigan airports led by Grand Rapids' No. 1, MLIVE
  • Why Grand Rapids airport is growing faster than the regional competition, MLIVE
• 2018-03
  • Ford Airport starts $30M reconstruction project, 2018-03
• 2018-07
  • Grand Rapids airport to offer direct flights to Miami, 2018-07, MLIVE
• 2018-08
  • Ford International is the second 'fastest-growing airport' in US, 2018-08, GRBJ
  • Ford Airport adds nonstop flight to Phoenix, 2018-08, MiBiz
• 2018-11
  • Multimillion dollar construction could bring waits to Ford Airport, 2018-11, MLIVE
  • Ford airport booking new destination
  • Grand Rapids airport adding direct flight to ninth Florida city
    • Non-seasonal service to Sarasota begins April 5, 2019.

• 2019-01

  • Ford airport lands two new destinations, GRBJ, 2019-01-15
    • Destinations are Nashville, TN and Savannah, GA
  • Airline forming $42M base at Ford airport, GRBJ, 2019-01-18

  • Grand Rapids is ‘sweet spot’ for airline base, GRBJ, 2019-01-18

    Allegiant Air revealed it is investing $42.8 million to have two planes based in Grand Rapids, which leaders say is a sign of promising tourism growth.
    

  • Ford airport reports best-ever December. GRBJ, 2019-01-22

• 2019-08
  • Another $90M in airport expansions, MiBiZ, 2019-08-28
  • Another $90M in airport expansions, GRBJ, 2019-08-28
  • Direct flights to Milwaukee to be available by the end of 2019, GRBJ, 2019-08-28
• 2020-01
  • Ford Airport adds three nonstop flights, GRBJ. 2020-01-14
    • Service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will begin June 5th 2020
    • Service to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) will begin May 7th, 2020
    • Service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) will begin May 22nd, 2020
• 2022-12
  • GR airport to complete $110M concourse expansion next year, MiBiz. 2022-12-15
  • Gerald R. Ford Int'l Airport to add flight to New York, FOX17
  • American Airlines & JetBlue Offer New Routes Through Their Northeast Alliance, MSN
  • American Airlines adds flight to New York from Ford Airport, MSN
• 2023-10
  • Southwest Airlines to start nonstop Grand Rapids flights to Nashville, Crains
• 2023-12
  • Peer-to-peer car sharing [Turo] an option at Grand Rapids airport for holiday travelers, Crains
• 2024-01
  • Frontier Airlines to start nonstop Grand Rapids flights to Dallas, Crains
  • Record number of passengers flew through Ford Airport in 2023, WOODTV8 : 3,794,915 passengers flew through Gerald R. Ford International Airport in 2023.
• 2024-02
  • Frontier Airlines to add nonstop Grand Rapids flights to Atlanta, Crains
• 2024-04
  • Climate Crisis be damned, GR International Airport announces $135,000,000 terminal expansion project. More parking, new rental car facility, no new surface transportation options.
• 2024-07
  • Low-cost carrier adds new nonstop route from Grand Rapids to Florida, Crains
• 2024-09
  • GR International Airport now has both TSA Pre Check and "CLEAR" passenger clearance options.
• 2024-10
  • 3 Michigan startups picked to pilot aviation technology at Grand Rapids airport, Crains 2024-10-01
• 2024-11
  • Ford Airport adding two more direct flights to southern east coast cities, FOX17 2024-11-19
    • The airport now has direct flights to thirty (30) cities.
    • These flights to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Jacksonville begin in May 2025