GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As a multi-day winter storm hits West Michigan, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport is preparing for the weather, just a week ahead of the Thanksgiving rush.
Currently, about 10% of their flights for Thursday are delayed or canceled due to inclement weather. While the airport is not as busy as it will be for holiday travel, airport officials say crews are fully staffed and prepared to deice planes on the runway to keep things going smoothly.
Officials say the wintry weather is acting as a trial run before the busy holiday season. Airport staff are preparing for thousands to come through the airport next week for Thanksgiving travel.
“Our busiest day will be Nov. 22. We’ll expect to see overall throughout that week, around 75,000 people coming through the building, leaving, departing and returning with our second busiest day being Nov. 28,” said Alex Peric, Chief Operating Officer at the airport.
AAA estimates that 1.7 million Michiganders will be traveling next week, bringing the Thanksgiving travel numbers up to nearly pre-pandemic rates.
Peric says the Ford Airport asks that flyers try to arrive at least two hours early to their flights to ease the holiday rush while finding parking, checking in and getting through security. Travelers should also check in with their airline online for possible delays or cancellations before heading to the airport.
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