CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — It's no surprise that West Michigan's largest airport is getting busier every year but the Spring break season is upon us, and that means there will be more people heading for the terminal for the next couple of weeks.
Last year 3.5 million passengers passed through Gerald R. Ford International last year, and so far 2020 is on pace to beat that.
The airport has added several new flights in the past 12 months, contributing to bigger crowds. It has also added an extra TSA check lane to handle the extra passengers.
Airport officials are encouraging everyone to arrive early, at least two hours before take off. That should allow you to park, check in, and get through security on time.
"I think a lot of times people think that, 'oh i have a 5:30 flight, do I really need to be there ahead of time?' and yeah, you really do need to be here at least two hours early," said Tara Hernandez, spokesperson for the Gerald R. Ford Airport.
"We're an airport really that is servicing 34 non-stop cities that we fly to, but a lot of cities where you're connecting to as well so that's why we have those early morning flights because you're connecting to a lot of the other ones," she said.
The airport also encourages passengers to check the TSA website for what items you can and cannot bring on a flight to help lower the time you and others spend in security.
