MUSKEGON, Mich. — Big changes are coming to the Muskegon County Airport. Driven by the need to replace the terminal building's original 1994 roof, other changes are on their way.
It is all part of a $2.9 million grant-funded project aimed at bringing a facelift to the airport.
"We're trying to market this not only as a destination for the community in Muskegon but also as to the general aviation community," said Ken Efting, director of the Muskegon County Airport.
Part of those changes include replacing skylights, adding decorative lighting, and a new restaurant in the airport. It's all to draw more travelers to Muskegon, but also to bring costs down.
"We're expecting it to reduce our heating and cooling costs by about 40%," said Efting.
On top of reducing bills, Muskegon County is also looking to reduce flight cancelations. "Southern Airways Express came in and they've struggled mightily in the environment here in West Michigan," explained Efting.
In response, Muskegon County looked at other flight services to find a better fit. The Muskegon County Board recently announced support for Denver Air Connection's proposal of a regular flight service. Muskegon County Airport Director Ken Efting has high hopes for the new plan.
"Their cancelation rate is less than 1%, which is well above the industry average, and well above the average of any airport in Michigan," says Efting.
With official approval from the Department of Transportation pending, Efting hopes that people look forward to the changes. "We know what's the level of effort it's going to take to earn travelers' trust back, and we just ask that they stay tuned because that effort is coming.”
Also in the works is the Wings Over Muskegon air show. That's scheduled to hit the runway from Aug. 9–11.
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