Grand Rapids Airport (GRR) News and Developments

[Cookin_peacocks]

Forgive me, what is a craptle??

[joeDowntown]

3 minutes ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

Forgive me, what is a craptle??

I think that is an autocorrect fail. I hope so, or it needs to be renamed. LOL

[Cookin_peacocks]

3 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

I think that is an autocorrect fail. I hope so, or it needs to be renamed. LOL

So what is it even in reference to???

[joeDowntown]

9 minutes ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

So what is it even in reference to???

 

GVMC study results released and no surprise the largest "impact" high priority projects being a direct I-96 access route and bringing back a downtown craptle shuttle (which was already announced) https://www.gvmc.org/airport-access-study

[Cookin_peacocks]

9 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

 

GVMC study results released and no surprise the largest "impact" high priority projects being a direct I-96 access route and bringing back a downtown craptle shuttle (which was already announced) https://www.gvmc.org/airport-access-study

Oh, a shuttle service. It's needed, but not nearly as exciting as I was hoping for when I saw a word I didn't recognize.

[GR8scott]

18 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

 

GVMC study results released and no surprise the largest "impact" high priority projects being a direct I-96 access route and bringing back a downtown craptle shuttle (which was already announced) https://www.gvmc.org/airport-access-study

you got it!

39 minutes ago, Cookin_peacocks said:

Forgive me, what is a craptle??

you are forgiven. And hilariously I edited it and found out accidentally by typing "sh*ttle", with an "i" instead of the "u" next to it and it autocorrects to the pg version....

[Allison Slater]

All aboard the Airport Craptle Express!

[walker]

This pretty big project surprised me:

GRR PRESS RELEASE: Ford International Airport Breaks Ground on Michigan’s First Consolidated Rental Car Facility

 

I wonder how much this will raise the price on rental cars.

[Prankster]

Cool. My daughter has been working on the design for this for quite some time. They traveled to Hartford CT to see how there’s worked, and are modeling it after the one at BDL. 

[ChevalierNoir]

7 hours ago, Prankster said:

Cool. My daughter has been working on the design for this for quite some time. They traveled to Hartford CT to see how there’s worked, and are modeling it after the one at BDL. 

I just looked at the Hartford airport on Google Maps and it looks incredibly similar to GRR. Two similar sized concourses and the main parking garage just across the road going past the front of the building. Even this new rental car facility is going in a similar position relative to the other buildings of the airport. 

[MJLO]

I thought we already had a rental car facility in the main parking garage? 

[joeDowntown]

44 minutes ago, MJLO said:

I thought we already had a rental car facility in the main parking garage? 

The rental pickup is in the existing parking ramp (and sounds like some of the ramp is used for vehicles), but most of the rental facility is “off site” (down near the entrance of the airport). So this consolidates everything in one location. 

[MJLO]

32 minutes ago, joeDowntown said:

The rental pickup is in the existing parking ramp (and sounds like some of the ramp is used for vehicles), but most of the rental facility is “off site” (down near the entrance of the airport). So this consolidates everything in one location. 

Oh duh lol.  That makes more sense.  I'm back with the class now lol.

[BLUESCRUBS]

Concourse expansion is looking impressive.

[joeDowntown]

Anyone noticed that WOOD TV has really upped their local development coverage game in the last six months?

They have nice photos of the new concourse. Flights will start using the concourse on Friday!

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/check-out-the-new-expanded-concourse-at-ford-airport/

Also, thought this was interesting:
 

Quote

Along with the additional gates and space, new food options and retail outlets will also be coming to the concourse. Some of the new vendors include Uccello’s Ristorante, Freddy’s, Madcap Coffee and Nantucket Bakery. A new beer garden concept called Aletitude will also be placed there.

 

[GR8scott]

I like a couple local food options and sounds like eventually more. Would have thought Bigby over Madcap and odd how they add 8 gates to the 7 existing and said there would be 14 gates total and the pictures show an A16...

[Hoeks]

Saturday flight out of expanded A concourse (opened yesterday).  Below are a few pics.  
 

The entire length of center isle,  are shops/restaurants under construction.   The gate agent mentioned they would start opening next week.  
 

I am so impressed, as this is such a transformative feel/experience.  Certainly feels like a big city airport.  Very bright, tall ceilings, tons of comfortable seating options with tables, and the width adds so much space.   
 

The existing gates are now boarded up and appears work as begun.   

[RiversideGR]

On 6/14/2023 at 4:38 PM, GR8scott said:

I like a couple local food options and sounds like eventually more. Would have thought Bigby over Madcap and odd how they add 8 gates to the 7 existing and said there would be 14 gates total and the pictures show an A16...

I’ve only been to bigby a handful of times but I was never impressed. I think madcap is a better representation of GR coffee. 

[cstonesparty]

On 6/17/2023 at 2:00 PM, Hoeks said:

Saturday flight out of expanded A concourse (opened yesterday).  Below are a few pics.  
 

The entire length of center isle,  are shops/restaurants under construction.   The gate agent mentioned they would start opening next week.  
 

I am so impressed, as this is such a transformative feel/experience.  Certainly feels like a big city airport.  Very bright, tall ceilings, tons of comfortable seating options with tables, and the width adds so much space.   
 

The existing gates are now boarded up and appears work as begun.   

My wife and one of my kids flew back to GRR Friday and deplaned at one of the new gates.  They said it looks like a big city airport now.  They really liked the terrazzo floor art and the brightness of the space...

[Zads]

MLive has a video and lengthy photo gallery of the new terminal

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2023/06/see-video-of-new-artwork-architecture-amenities-for-passengers-at-grand-rapids-airport.html

[walker]

Maybe it's been there for awhile but I just noticed the other day this GRR billboard in Muskegon on Seaway Drive as you are driving east towards Mona Lake:

If it looks vaguely familiar, it is because it is obviously based on the old poster and the version of it painted on the side of Yesterdog as seen in my old post about Kohler Aviation  back in 2019.  Likely the billboard artist had fun with this even if hardly anyone knew what he or she was up to:

On 9/2/2019 at 3:24 PM, walker said:

You might recognize this from the stylized version of this poster that's painted on the Yesterdog wall.  Here's the original airline that flew from Grand Rapids to Milwaukee:

The Detroit part of this is you could take the train from Detroit and they'd let you out at the tracks adjoining the old Kent County Airport where you could then board a flight for Milwaukee.  This was an odd plane, it had an open cockpit for the pilots while the passengers sat inside.  They had several of these planes.  The plane was amphibious which was a nice feature if it crashed into Lake Michigan which it did a few times with no loss of  life or serious injury.

A bit of Kohler Aviation History 

combined train and plane schedule

Yesterdog's version:

Passenger service has fallen on hard times at the Muskegon Airport.  Because of the pilot shortage since the pandemic, the previous United Express regional carrier that flew between Muskegon  and Chicago dropped their service and the replacement air service is provided by Southern Airways Express, an airline that flies nine-passenger non-pressurized single prop planes.  Apparently the pilot requirements are not as strict for their planes:

 

LATE EDIT:   I noticed on the Flight Aware website that unlike old Kohler Aviation with their amphibious planes, Southwest Airways Express does not fly their single engine plane directly across Lake Michigan, they stay pretty close to shore 

Edited July 2, 2023 by walker

[droonus2000]

I saw this same design on I-196 heading West today. I immediately knew the reference and was excited to see them tie in that aviation history, and the history of Yesterdog. 

[cstonesparty]

4 hours ago, walker said:

Because of the pilot shortage since the pandemic, the previous United Express regional carrier that flew between Muskegon  and Chicago dropped their service

 

I used that flight to Chicago a couple times and it was efficient and less expensive.  In and out of airport was super quick.  Disappointing that service level could not be sustained.

[Pattmost20]

14 hours ago, walker said:

Passenger service has fallen on hard time at the Muskegon Airport.  Because of the pilot shortage since the pandemic, the previous United Express regional carrier that flew between Muskegon  and Chicago dropped their service and the replacement air service is provided by Southern Airways Express, an airline that flies nine-passenger non-pressurized single prop planes.  Apparently the pilot requirements are not as strict for their planes:

I know it is probably also the proximity to GRR that has hurt the Muskegon airport, but it is crazy to me that Manistee can support 4 flights a day to Chicago while Muskegon struggles so bad. 

Edited June 21, 2023 by Pattmost20

[Allison Slater]

After moving to Muskegon, and looking at the connections and flights out of Muskegon, I realized pretty quickly I'd probably just be using GRR. I'm guessing many other Muskegonites have figured the same. Manistee is a bit further and they may be a little less likely to drive to GRR for a flight.