Grand Rapids, Mich. – For the first time ever, the Gerald R. Ford International (GFIA) Airport served over 200,000 passengers in the month of February, recording the busiest February in Airport history and tallying enplanements that shot over 10% for the month.
The peak month comes after a record 2016 year that saw 2,653,630 passengers in and out of GFIA, an increase of 4.06% from 2015. Passenger growth was recorded in 9 of the 12 months of 2016 at GFIA.
“This is an incredible feat for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, and it tells us that passengers are not only using our airport and filling seats on our planes, but they are enjoying their experience from curbside to planeside because they keep coming back,” said GFIA President & CEO Jim Gill. “We are excited to see our numbers continue to break records, and we can’t thank the West Michigan community and our airline partners and tenants enough for their support.”
The growth over the last few years started in 2013 with a passenger record of 2,237,979. In 2014, that number jumped to 2,335,105. In 2015, GFIA broke its own record once again with a passenger total record of 2,550,193 – a 9.21% year-over-year increase. Over the past four years, the Airport has recorded its strongest growth in its 53-year history, serving over 9.7 million passengers over the four-year time period.
July 2016 was the single busiest month in Airport history with 238,237 total passengers traveling through GFIA resulting in the busiest July ever, and breaking an all-time monthly record from July 2015.
The Airport is keeping up with demand through its infrastructure. The Gateway Transformation Project began in December 2015 and is slated to continue through summer 2017. The project’s main feature is the consolidated passenger security checkpoint which will centralize and combine security screening to one main checkpoint in the Airport, eliminating separate screening for passengers traveling through either Concourse A or B. Construction also includes new terrazzo flooring, lighting fixtures, restroom & nursing rooms, family restrooms, pre and post security business centers, new retail and food & beverage space, and much more.
“As we continue to grow in traffic it is imperative that our facilities keep up with our passenger demand,” said Gill. “We will continue to do our part to improve our amenities, technology, customer service and infrastructure. We are excited to see what the future holds, and we only expect more growth in the years to come.”
GFIA monthly passenger statistics are available on our website here.
About GFIA
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) is the second busiest airport in Michigan. The airport served over 2.6 million passengers in 2016 and over 7,000 travelers pass through GFIA each day. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport offers nonstop service to 24 major market destinations with more than 120 daily nonstop flights. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is managed and operated by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority. GFIA generates over $3.1 billion in annual economic output throughout West Michigan, and employs over 1,500 people. For more information on GFIA visit: www.grr.org or follow the airport on Twitter: @FlyGRFord
