GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Guest numbers for 2021 show a near return to pre-pandemic travel levels at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
More than 2.9 million passengers flew through the airport from January 2021 through December 2021.
The airport says in 2019, a record year for the airport, more than 3.5 million passengers flew through Ford International Airport.
According to Ford International Airport, this past year was the third-highest year for passenger traffic in airport history and neared 82% of pre-pandemic numbers.
“After the challenges of the pandemic, it is gratifying to see we are back to nearly pre-pandemic travel levels,” said Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority CEO Tory Richardson. “We are so pleased to see guests return and have the confidence in us to get them safely where they’re going. Our guests are the pulse of the Airport, so seeing the concourses lively again has been a breath of fresh air.”
The airport says they saw a spike in airport traffic during spring break with more than 228,000 West Michiganders seeking out warmer climates.
Airport traffic at Ford International peaked in July with more than 313,000 passengers.
When the pandemic started, Ford International Airport launched “Fly Safe. Fly Ford.,” a campaign designed to showcase the efforts the Airport was taking to ensure guest safety.
2021 Numbers by the Month
• January: 133,606
• February: 160,949
• March: 226,831
• April: 228,044
• May: 236,047
• June: 264,764
• July: 313,814
• August: 288,473
• September: 256,496
• October: 266,102
• November: 266,740
• December: 286,096
Total: 2,927,962
