In its 2020 Flight Plan report, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport recapped the past year’s accomplishments and looks forward to 2021 projects.
The 2020 global pandemic limited air travel traffic.
“In April of 2020 we were down almost 97%”
Tory Richardson is President and CEO of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
“Today we’re back up to about 60% of where 2019 numbers were," said Richardson. "So, we’ve made a lot of progress.”
Richardson tells us 2020 revenues still outpaced expenses. It was a year when the airport broke ground on the new federal inspection station and wrapped up the second phase of its terminal Gateway Expansion. In December, the first deliveries of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines originated from Ford International.
What lies ahead in 2021? More curb front space, an additional baggage carousel and restrooms will come online. Three new corporate hangers are under construction.
“We also want to continue our work with our air traffic control tower relocation project," Richardson says. "In fact, we’ve spent significant time this week already on that project to try to move that forward and get it relocated to the other side of the facility.”
A new emergency operation center is also in the works.