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Grand Rapids Airport (GRR) News and Developments

joeDowntown

By joeDowntown
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Raildude's dad
Raildude's dad

I listened to a presentation yesterday by the airport's  Facilities Manager. This info is from notes I took. I tried to get info i thought you all would be interested in. 2020 had $78.8 M of capi

Hoeks
Hoeks

Below are some photos of the new addition taken this past weekend.   Hard to describe, but this is a drastic change to how the airport feels.   It used to feel very small walking up the low, dark ramp

walker
walker

WARNING: old man long story coming up: Sure GRR can handle large planes.  In fact, on July 26, 1989 a flight from Grand Rapids set the non-stop distance record for a commercial twinjet, 8,893 s

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Raildudes dad Hamlet

Raildudes dad

Posted
Posted

i like it, I like it, I LIKE IT !! You're thinking in all the right ways! Ford Airport is the southernmost point of the proposed GVSU-Main Campus/Downtown/Ford Airport lightrail concept. KEEP HITTIN' 'EM OVER THE HEAD WITH THAT!! The more it's said the more it will coalesce.

Very little demand on the GFIA - downtown route - I agree with the consultant on that. There's no residential until you get to Kalamazoo Ave and it's back to industrial by Eastern Ave. GFIA is a larger regional airport. Passengers aren't going to drive in from up north and park downtown to take the train to the airport. DeVos Place gets more regional conventions - folks more likely to drive to GR than fly. There isn't a great demand for business air passengers to downtown.

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egrguy Burg

egrguy

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That is a great expansion! How many gates does the airport have? Does it make international flights?

Its Gerald R Ford International Airport, however, Im not aware of any current international flights. There isn't any customs so maybe they used to... anyone know?

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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So when are they going to re-do the terminal so that it looks even remotely as nice as this new parking garage and "escalator core"? The first impression for people flying into GFIA shouldn't come after they've trekked all the way through the gates, terminal, baggage area and then.......... WOW! Nice parking garage!

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blueradon Hamlet

blueradon

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So when are they going to re-do the terminal so that it looks even remotely as nice as this new parking garage and "escalator core"? The first impression for people flying into GFIA shouldn't come after they've trekked all the way through the gates, terminal, baggage area and then.......... WOW! Nice parking garage!

Well I am not an expert on airports but I just had my first visit inside the actual airport to pick my parents up back from their vegas trip in February. I'd have to say the iniside looks pretty neat - although with all the new construction I could see the terminal looking a bit dated - but it's not TERRIBLE in any standards.

I have been in the O'Hare airport once too - my god what a mess.

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highwayguy Whistle-Stop

highwayguy

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Well I am not an expert on airports but I just had my first visit inside the actual airport to pick my parents up back from their vegas trip in February. I'd have to say the iniside looks pretty neat - although with all the new construction I could see the terminal looking a bit dated - but it's not TERRIBLE in any standards.

I have been in the O'Hare airport once too - my god what a mess.

One of the worst terminals, at least in this part of the world, is the Smith Terminal in Detroit. However, it will soon be replaced with the brand new North Terminal, which is scheduled to open this September.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Well I am not an expert on airports but I just had my first visit inside the actual airport to pick my parents up back from their vegas trip in February. I'd have to say the iniside looks pretty neat - although with all the new construction I could see the terminal looking a bit dated - but it's not TERRIBLE in any standards.

I have been in the O'Hare airport once too - my god what a mess.

It's certainly not horrible, especially since it just had a new face-job a few years back. So now it looks like a very nicely appointed bus station, instead of a burned out bus station (but it still looks like a bus station). It needs some higher ceilings and a lot more windows. And the low ceilings it has will certainly be accentuated badly by the soaring rooflines of the new parking garage and drop-off area.

Something along these lines, if they want GFIA to help attract new business expansion, conventions and investment:

Picture1.jpg

Picture2.jpg

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blueradon Hamlet

blueradon

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Yeah - I definitely see your point now :lol:

I was thinking the inside didn't need much work - but the outside - oh heck yeah...it could be a lot taller - I like that first pic.

Here's some other ones I like:

3D-Exterior-View-2_sml.jpg

3D-Interior-View-4_sml.jpg

airport1.jpg

RHADS_Terminal_at_Dusk.GIF

Doesn't this just scream DeVos Hall? :lol:

indi39193.jpeg

Edited by blueradon
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localtalent Hamlet

localtalent

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Two of the wave trusses are up as of tuesday. Naturally, I didn't have my camera with me at the time, but let me assure you that the whole structure looks about 40% more massive with those things sitting aloft.

Last week, with all the trusses laying about on the ground, it looked like they were erecting a massive steel rollercoaster.

This will be quite the structure.

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GR8scott Burg

GR8scott

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I was there Saturday night and they were lifting one of the beams up. The place was so lit up it looked like a mini las vegas skyline from 3 miles away on 44th street with all the lights and different colors and all the tall structures in the middle. I wish I had a pic of it.

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fotoman311 Burg

fotoman311

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Air Canada to start non-stop service from Grand Rapids to Toronto

GRR will actually live up to its namesake and be a true international airport. I think its great news; hopefully the route will actual stick this time around.

My in-laws would have appreciated this last year when they vacationed to Toronto. I think they drove, but they probably would have flown if there was a non-stop option.

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mpchicago Burg

mpchicago

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The project is coming along nicely!

I can't believe how fares have skyrocketed in Grand Rapids due to a lack of discount carriers. I just read in Crane's Chicago Business, that United is charging over $400 dollars for leisure travel round trip service from Grand Rapids to O'Hare, and over $800 for business class. Is anyone flying out of GRR now? That's outrageous, how is the airport expected to compete?

Edited by mpchicago
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fotoman311 Burg

fotoman311

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The project is coming along nicely!

I can't believe how fares have skyrocketed in Grand Rapids due to a lack of discount carriers. I just read in Crane's Chicago Business, that United is charging over $400 dollars for leisure travel round trip service from Grand Rapids to O'Hare, and over $800 for business class. Is anyone flying out of GRR now? That's outrageous, how is the airport expected to compete?

I agree. I can fly the end of June from GR to Omaha for $367 (my wife and I just made this trip in January for about $260) or we could go to Chicago and do the same trip non-stop for $141.

Hmmm....even if you factor in the $60 train ride, it's still $300 cheaper.

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walker Burg

walker

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Posted (edited)

Air Canada to start non-stop service from Grand Rapids to Toronto

GRR will actually live up to its namesake and be a true international airport. I think its great news; hopefully the route will actual stick this time around.

It's nice to have the service restored. The article in the Press along with the stories on TV news may be a little deceiving by omission. This isn't the real Air Canada but rather a very small commuter airline flying under the Air Canada code. They fly eighteen passenger Beech prop airplanes. The name of the commuter airline is Air Georgian. This is the same airline that offered the service a few years go under the name Air Alliance. I don't know what name they intend to use this time.

I like the adventure of flying on small planes but I know some here have complained in the past about the much larger fifty passenger jets as being too small. I think we will see the return of more prop planes soon since they are about twice as fuel efficient as the fifty passenger jets. I've read that the airlines are starting to park those 50 pax jets in the desert because they can't make any money with them when oil is over $70 a barrel.

Here is a link to the rest of the story on the Toronto flights:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....7594&EDATE=

Edited by walker
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plee30 Whistle-Stop

plee30

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I typically fly United Airlines when I can because I'm a member of their Mileage Plus program. I'm embarassed to say that, but it can have its rewards. My wife and I cashed in our miles recently and took a 2 week trip to Thailand, a route not many of the other domestics fly; nonetheless, I'll usually price flights from GRR or ORD to gauge cost over convenience. Typically adding the GRR portion of the flight adds about $150 - $200 more roundtrip. Because of congestion at ORD, many of your connecting flights may go through Denver now.

When you factor in convenience and cost, those prices aren't too bad. I've paid ORD parking prices and the $150 - $200 in savings don't go very far, not to mention it's going to cost around $90 dollar fill up to get there and back. And after a long trip, driving your car 3 hours home isn't fun. If my travel plans are a little more flexible, I'll visit a sister in Chicago and then take the Blue Line EL to the airport. It can be quicker and much cheaper than leaving a car at the airport.

Nonetheless, if Chicago is your final destination from Grand Rapids, drive to Michigan City, and take the metro train into the city. You can even keep your car parked over night.

Edited by plee30
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