KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Spring Break is kicking off for many this week in West Michigan.
Gerald R. Ford International Airport said it's preparing to welcome thousands of travelers heading to their destinations, with the start of the big travel rush on Thursday.
The airport said its official "kick-off" to spring break begins March 30th and runs thru April 11th.
On Thursday, there was a steady flow of passengers all morning long with 12 flights departing before 7 a.m.
"I think Spring Break for us and why it is so successful is the strong colleges and universities that we have here. Students wanting to fly out. I think we have a lot of nonstop destinations which is definitely a competitive advantage to sun and fun destinations where people from West Michigan really want to go," said Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Chief Operating Officer Alex Peric.
The hottest destinations for West Michiganders this year include five Florida locations including Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, Punta Gorda and Clearwater as well Washington, D.C.
"We like to say we are punching above our weight class in terms of nonstop destinations. We are above 30 nonstop destinations throughout the year. We peak at around 34 or 35 destinations nonstop per year, so we are very proud of the fact that we are going nonstop to a lot of destinations that Grand Rapidians want to go and a lot of West Michigan," said Peric.
THIS MORNING: Peak Spring Break travel begins today for Gerald R. Ford International Airport. Top destinations include various Florida locations including Tampa and Orlando as well as Washington, D.C. @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/Rj5dYHEzSq
— Lauren Kummer (@LaurenKummerTV) March 30, 2023
For travelers planning on flying to their destinations, it is important to arrive two hours before scheduled departure, giving you time to park, check-in and go through security before boarding your flight.
Check-in for most airlines closes 45 minutes prior to departure.
"We are back to the 2019 passenger levels. 2019 was a record-breaking year for us, so we are surpassing those record-breaking levels. We are seeing around 8% more this year for Spring Break travel than we were in 2019, which was again a record-breaking year for us," said Peric.
The Ford International Airport said it's prepared to welcome more than 150,000 passengers for its 13-day peak travel time. As many as 13,000 passengers will come through the airport per day.
"The myth that we are expensive to fly out of is gone. We are tracking on a national average of what the average of a domestic fare is, so that fare is around $400 round-trip domestic. We are tracking at that average," said Peric.
For anyone who is looking to be as prepared as possible, you can download the airport's app "Fly Ford" for parking and security wait time information. You are also encouraged to download your airline's app for updated flight times.
The airport will be hosting a Passenger Appreciation Day on March 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Passengers will be greeted with a live band, special costumed characters, a puppy parade and more.
For those wondering, the new terminal at the airport will partially open in June with a grand opening scheduled for early 2024.
