"Michigan airport floats incentives to land some new routes"

Thursday, December 23, 2004

Airport floats incentives to land some new routes 
By Ed White
The Grand Rapids (MI) Press


As passenger traffic reaches a record high, Gerald R. Ford International
Airport is sweetening incentives for airlines that offer new destinations. 

"Will something happen tomorrow? Probably not," Deputy Director Phil Johnson
said. "But we're hopeful in the years ahead." 

It's no secret the airport would like to get nonstop service to the West,
such as Denver. A low-cost carrier that flies to the Southeast would be
attractive, too. 
     
Orlando, Fla., is the top destination for Grand Rapids travelers, followed
by Las Vegas, Johnson said. 

The Kent County Aeronautics Board has agreed to waive landing and other fees
for six months for any airline entering the Grand Rapids market. 

An airline already at the airport can get a three-month break if it adds
flights to a city not served by another carrier. 

The fees are based on a plane's weight and the number of flights. For
example, a new flight that leaves just once a day can mean a savings of
$60,000 to $100,000 over six months, Johnson said. 

Under the airport's old policy, an airline had to maintain flights for a
period even after the incentives expired. There were no takers. 

Director Jim Koslosky said the airport wants to offer a "reasonable" bonus
without giving regular, costly subsidies. 

"We're not using a shotgun approach," he said. 

Ford airport is not hurting for business. It passed 2 million travelers this
year for the first time. Passenger traffic through November was up 9 percent
compared to 2003.


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