Latest news with #GeraldR.FordInternationalAirport
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New airline takes flight at Ford Airport with $49 nonstop trip to North Carolina
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A new airline has been added to Gerald R. Ford International Airport's offerings. Avelo Airlines on Friday announced it is now flying out of the Ford Airport, beginning with a twice-weekly direct flight to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. In June, Avelo will also add a route to Lakeland International Airport in Florida. Both flights will fly out on Mondays and Fridays. Avelo is offering one-way fares from Grand Rapids to North Carolina for $49, but with some caveats: That price is available for flights between Sept. 5 and Sept. 29, and it must be booked by May 30. Still, one-way fares currently appearing on the website range from $39 to $119. Allegiant offers $42 rates for two new nonstop flights from Ford Airport 'We're excited to welcome Avelo Airlines,' Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority President and CEO Tory Richardson said in a release. 'These routes give West Michigan travelers convenient access to Raleigh-Durham's thriving tech and research triangle, and to the sunshine and family-friendly attractions of Central Florida.' Ford Airport has been touting its direct flight options as it works to add more. It currently has direct flights to almost 40 destinations, including both seasonal and year-round flights. Allegiant Air on Thursday added a nonstop flight to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and on Friday added a nonstop flight to Jacksonville, Florida. Earlier this month, Delta Air Lines announced it is adding a nonstop flight to Orlando starting in December. The airport has also been working to add a federal inspection station, which will make way for international direct flights, like a potential nonstop flight to Cancun. GR direct to Cancun? What it takes to add a new nonstop flight The airport, which saw a record-breaking 4.17 million passengers in 2024, is in the midst of a major $600 million project called Elevate. Crews are building a consolidated car rental facility and working on the terminal enhancement project, which will relocate ticket counters. The air traffic control tower is set to be relocated and a new parking garage is set to be built. In 2023, the airport opened a newly expanded Concourse A. Other recent additions include an indoor animal relief area and a sensory room, along with several food and beverage options. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New rescue facility at Ford Airport complete
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A new $14.5 million building to house emergency response crews at Gerald R. Ford International Airport is finished, the airport says. The Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting building is 25,000 square feet has large bays to facilitate the airport's firefighting vehicles and more space for training and storing equipment. Headed to Disney World? Ford Airport adds another nonstop Orlando flight on the ARFF in August 2023. It's next to the Airport Operations Center so crews can easily communicate in the event of an emergency. 'As the Airport continues to grow and serve more travelers, we strive to maintain the highest level of safety and operations for our community,' Airport Authority Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Alex Peric said in a Wednesday statement. 'This significant investment will further support our efforts to respond swiftly and efficiently to any emergency situation that may arise, and we are grateful to our team and partners for making this possible.' Rental car facility at Ford Airport celebrates construction milestone A number of improvements are underway at the airport, which saw a record-breaking 4.17 million passengers in 2024. Crews are building a consolidated car rental facility and working on the terminal enhancement project, which will relocate ticket counters. The air traffic control tower is set to be relocated and a new parking garage is set to be built. The money for the ARFF came from state and federal grants, plus airport dollars. —News 8's Madalyn Buursma contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
REAL ID deadline is now in effect for air travel
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A REAL ID or a passport are now required to fly in the United States but the Transportation Security Administration is giving some leeway as the requirement is implemented. The deadline officially went into effect on Wednesday after being delayed several times. Lines were moving smoothly at Gerald R. Ford International Airport. The uncertainty surrounding the REAL ID deadline had travelers like Christian Lott navigating a changing deadline. 'Especially for the past five, ten years they brought it up and put it away,' Lott said. TSA prepares for changes after REAL ID compliance He received his REAL ID about a month ago in anticipation of the change. 'Especially for this flight. I knew it was on the deadline so I just got ahead of it. Got mine but if I hadn't known that I probably wouldn't have went and got it,' Lott said. The TSA said not having a Real ID could delay your travel. The requirement came as a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission to create federal rules for identification. The Real ID is designated by a gold star in the top right corner of a license or photo ID. 'Airports, I like getting in and out quickly. I didn't want any extra delays so yeah, I figured just get ahead of it,' Lott said. The Homeland Security secretary said travelers will be able to fly without it but will need to go through additional identity verification. Flying without a REAL ID? Here's what to expect Some passengers were traveling with their passports or tribal identification, which meet requirements. 'I had to renew my license four years ago because it's due for renewal this June and at that point they were already talking about it so I made sure to get it at that point,' said Dawn Delacruz, who was flying out Wednesday. Word of the deadline was something some travelers just learned about. 'I actually only heard about it a couple days ago so I didn't know this was possibly gonna be a problem,' said Elizabeth Delacruz, Dawn's daughter. Even with REAL IDs, many people traveling were double-checking just to be certain. 'With all the ramping up of, 'OK make sure you have your REAL ID' and here we are flying … so check the Secretary of State website a few times,' Dawn Delacruz said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Michigan baby had measles vaccine 1 day before trip to airport with contagious traveler
An Ingham County baby who is now infected with measles had one dose of a measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine the day before she traveled through a Michigan airport where another person was contagious, said Dr. Nike Shoyinka, the county's medical health officer, during an afternoon news conference April 15. The 12-month-old girl, who has the first documented measles case in Ingham County since 1994, traveled out of state with her family, but there wasn't enough time between her immunization and her exposure to the virus for the vaccine to fully trigger her immune system and protect her from getting sick, Shoyinka said. "Usually, what we expect is that our body's immune system ... would have developed full immunity at about a two-week mark" after vaccination, Shoyinka said. "Even though this child was vaccinated, she was still relatively susceptible given the short period of time. However, I will say that this child's symptoms were very mild ... presumably because she had received at least one dose. "We have been in close contact with the family, who, by the way, have been excellent in providing the information we need about potential exposures, about where they've been," Shoyinka said. "I want to also emphasize that they did exactly what they were supposed to do in terms of making sure that their child was protected as they took her out of state (for) travel. "This individual is doing well currently and is isolating at home with family." The girl visited one of the two Michigan airports where a Kent County traveler exposed potentially hundreds of others to measles in late March — Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Shoyinka said, though she did not specify which airport the child visited or exactly when. "It's unclear at what point the exposure happened during that trip," she said, noting that health officials are still investigating whether the cases are epidemiologically linked. "We are looking at specimen samples and we have sent them all the way to the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in order to identify matches to figure out where the exposure happened." The tricky thing about measles is that a person can be infectious and spreading the disease for as many as four days before they develop the telltale rash, and for four days after the rash begins, according to the CDC. And the virus is so contagious that even after a person infected with measles leaves the room, up to two hours later, 90% of people without immunity to the virus will get sick if they enter the room. The Ingham County Health Department issued a news release April 10 detailing multiple exposure sites in Lansing, East Lansing and Okemos from April 4-8 where the girl went with loved ones while potentially infectious. But the health department did not disclose that the child also attended a Lansing day care/preschool over the course of several days in early April, exposing about 50 other children, along with staff members and other visitors. "We are matching records with every single child and every single family in there to make sure that we can communicate with them (about) what they need to do" to protect themselves and their children, Shoyinka said of the health department's contact tracing efforts. "If a child was unvaccinated, then we would monitor them for 21 days following the last date of exposure." The school's name was not publicly disclosed, Shoyinka said, because "we are working closely with the school. ... They have been very cooperative in terms of giving us a list of the students in the school, the staff, the people who have been there. And so the information that we need in order to communicate with the people who are exposed and provide them with the adequate information is available. "The other places that are listed are places where it is difficult for us to determine exactly who was there during those time frames." Those other known exposure sites, dates and times are: Friday, April 4: 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Tractor Supply Co., 5241 W. Grand River Ave., Lansing. Saturday, April 5: 1:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Farmers Market inside Meridian Mall, 1982 W. Grand River Ave., Okemos. 2:30 p.m.-6 p.m. at Aldi, 5165 Marsh Road, Okemos. Sunday, April 6: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at Towar Hart Baptist Church, 6157 Towar Ave., East Lansing. The child spent time in the infant room during the service. 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. at Toscana Restaurant, 3170 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. Tuesday, April 8: 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m. in the emergency department of the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow, 1215 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. 5:30 p.m.-7:35 p.m. at the MSU Community Music School, 4930 Hagadorn Road, East Lansing. The child was in a bathroom at the school. Health leaders urge anyone who may have been exposed to measles to monitor for symptoms for 21 days after the date of potential exposure. If symptoms develop, call ahead before visiting a doctor, urgent care center, or hospital emergency department to ensure precautions can be taken to avoid exposing others. The Ingham County child is the fifth person in Michigan to contract the measles this year, the state health department reported, and it comes amid an exploding number of cases in the U.S. As of April 10, there were 712 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. this year in 24 states — more than double the number of cases nationally in all of 2024, when there were 285, according to the CDC. Of the cases so far this year, about 70% were among children and teenagers, and 97% were among people who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The other Michigan cases involved include: An adult from Oakland County who traveled internationally with an unknown vaccination history and was the state's first measles case of 2025. The person exposed others March 8-10 at a restaurant in Rochester and at Henry Ford Rochester Hospital. A traveler from Kent County who potentially exposed hundreds of other people to measles March 24-28 when visiting Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, along with a restaurant in Kentwood and a Corewell Health facility in East Grand Rapids. An adult from Macomb County who traveled to the Windsor-Essex County area of Ontario, Canada. The case was announced April 4, and the person is not believed to have gone out in public while infectious, so there are no known exposure sites. A Montcalm County resident whose measles case was announced April 9 by the Mid-Michigan District Health Department. The person recently traveled out of the state, but no details were released about possible exposure sites. "Our recommendation is for everyone to be vaccinated," Shoyinka said. One dose of the MMR vaccine provides about 93% protection against the virus, and two doses offer about 97% coverage, the CDC says. It recommends the following for MMR vaccines: A first dose for children at 12 months-15 months old, with a booster dose administered between ages 4 and 6. Anyone born during or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles or documentation of having been vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine should get vaccinated. The second dose should be given no sooner than 28 days after the first. People exposed to measles who cannot document immunity against the virus should get post-exposure prophylaxis — a dose of the vaccine to potentially provide protection within 72 hours of initial exposure, or immunoglobulin within six days of exposure. The CDC changed its recommendations in 1989 from one dose of the MMR vaccine to two doses, which provides longer-lasting and more robust protection. People born between 1957 and 1989 who have had just a single dose of the vaccine may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus in an outbreak setting. "We're really encouraging everyone to contact their primary care provider if they're not sure about their vaccination status," Shoyinka said. "If they have received one dose in the past, then we're asking them to get another one. If they have not received any, then they need to start their vaccinations as soon as possible." As of February, about 83.3% of Ingham County children ages 19 to 35 months had gotten the MMR vaccine, the health department said. That's slightly higher than the statewide average of 80%, but it's still well below the 95% threshold required to protect the most vulnerable people in society from becoming infected with measles through herd immunity, Shoyinka said. Herd immunity occurs when almost an entire community is immune to an infectious disease, which reduces the risk of spreading the illness to those who are not vaccinated because the virus cannot maintain sustained spread within the population. "When our numbers are less than that expected herd immunity number, we create a lot of immunity holes, so to speak, where a lot of people are unprotected," Shoyinka said. "And the more unprotected people we have, the higher the chance we have of outbreaks." According to the CDC, measles symptoms typically start within seven-14 days of exposure, but also have been known to appear as long as 21 days after initial exposure and can include: Fever, which may rise above 104 degrees. Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, cough. Red, watery eyes that can develop into pink eye or conjunctivitis. Two to three days after symptoms begin, tiny white spots, known as Koplik spots, may develop on the inner cheeks, gums and roof of the mouth. Three to five days after symptoms begin, a rash that is red, raised and blotchy appears. It usually begins on the face and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs. Measles can cause serious illness, long-term disability and death in people of all ages. So far this year, 79 people in the U.S. with confirmed measles cases have been hospitalized for treatment — that's about 11% of the 712 confirmed infections nationally. The vast majority — 65 of the 79 who were hospitalized — were younger than the age of 20, according to the CDC. About 1 in 20 children with measles develops pneumonia. Roughly 1 out of every 1,000 children with measles infections will also have encephalitis. Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions, permanent hearing loss, intellectual disability and death, according to the CDC. Anywhere from 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children with measles dies from respiratory or neurologic complications from the virus. People who contract measles during pregnancy also are more likely to develop pneumonia and be hospitalized. The virus can cause miscarriage and stillbirth as well as trigger preterm birth and lead to lower birth weights, according to the CDC. The CDC has confirmed two deaths from measles in the U.S. this year. A third death remains under investigation. Ingham County residents can get an MMR vaccine at the health department's immunization clinic, 303 S. Cedar St., Lansing. (Use entrance No. 3 when entering the building and go to the second floor.) Walk in hours are: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 1-4 p.m. Thursdays. Call the health department at 517-887-4316 or email Immunization@ to make an appointment. MMR vaccines also are available through primary care providers and pharmacies. Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover the MMR vaccine at no cost. Low- to no-cost vaccines also are available at local public health department offices. Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program also may receive the vaccine from a provider enrolled in that program at no cost. To learn more, go to: Vaccines for Children (VFC): Information for Parents | CDC. The Oakland County Health Division offices in Southfield and Pontiac also have MMR vaccines available 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays, and 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays at: North Oakland Health Center, 1200 N. Telegraph Road, Building 34 East, Pontiac. South Oakland Health Center, 27725 Greenfield Road, Southfield. In Macomb County, call 586-469-5372 or go to the Immunization Clinics webpage to learn more about vaccination services available. Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@ Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan baby had measles vaccine day before possible airport exposure
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Rental car facility at Ford Airport celebrates construction milestone
CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Michigan's first consolidated rental car facility reached a major milestone with a topping-off ceremony Tuesday morning at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport near Grand Rapids. It was too windy to actually lift the beam to top off the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, but the ceremony involving 150 construction workers was held regardless. When the beam is placed, it will mark the structural completion of the second tallest building on the airport's campus. 'Today is a great milestone that we're excited about with the topping out of this project. There's a tremendous amount of effort from all of our team members on this job, not to mention a lot of pride involved in what we do,' Dave Williamson, executive vice president for West Michigan-based concrete contractor Kent Companies, told News 8. Work begins on $156M Ford airport rental car building The $156 million CONRAC is set to open in spring 2026. Once complete, the five-story structure will centralize all rental car operations into a single location, easing traffic congestion and reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 500,000 pounds annually. With construction about 60% done, airport officials say the project has supported more than 800 construction jobs and has generated a $220 million economic impact for the West Michigan region. Turner Construction is managing the project, with Kent Companies providing concrete and structural services. Williamson said his company has devoted 165,000 man-hours to pour some 70,000 yards of concrete for the CONRAC. 'That's enough to fill 22 Olympic-sized pools,' Williamson said. 'There's enough reinforcing in this project to span from Grand Rapids to Albuquerque, just to give you an idea … just laid straight out.' Fly nonstop to these 2 new cities from Ford Airport The goal is to open the CONRAC next spring. The CONRAC is part of ELEVATE, the airport's $600 million investment in transportation infrastructure. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
