The Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority is ready to welcome in new passengers. The airport announced the completion of its newly expanded Concourse A this month.
The expansion is part of a $110 million project.
Concourse A Phase I, which opened to the public June 16, primarily serve guests flying American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. The upgrades include:
- Eight new gates for a total of 14
- Expanded gate space areas to accommodate larger size aircraft
- New concession and retail concepts
- A greater variety of seating options
- A new companion care restroom which includes an adult changing table
The Concourse A project created more than 125 new construction jobs and added more than 155,000 square feet of space to Michigan’s second largest airport.
The expansion is part of the ELEVATE program. The initiative designates more than $500 million in federal and state grants as well as municipal bonds, for critical infrastructure investments to improve the guest experience, while positioning the Airport for continued growth.
“We are delighted to celebrate this significant milestone in the monumental transformation of our state-of-the-art Concourse A,” said Airport Authority President and CEO Tory Richardson. “This investment positions us for our anticipated passenger growth trajectory for the next two decades – and ensures we continue to deliver a world-class experience as West Michigan’s gateway to the world.”
The Airport partnered with local businesses and artists to ensure the concourse reflects the look, feel and culture of West Michigan.
New concession concepts include a beer garden known as Aletitude, Freddy’s, Uccello’s Ristorante, Blue Bridge Market space, which will feature local cuisine from Madcap Coffee Company and Nantucket Bakery, and a news and gifts stand called Thornapple Essentials.
To furnish the space, Haworth, MillerKnoll and Steelcase all supplied contemporary pieces to provide travelers with a greater variety of seating options.
The Airport will now transition to Phase 2 of the project, which will close the gates of the existing portion of Concourse A to undergo widening and renovations, add a second-level executive lounge and additional amenities for passengers.
It is expected Phase 2 will be completed in 2024.
