Capital Region International Airport

gary

The federal transportation funding bill for the upcoming fiscal year includes $5 million for an extension of one of the Capital City Airport's runways, enabling longer-distance flights to service Lansing.

The runway will be extended from the current 8,001 ft. to 8,500 ft.

Note: There's a misprint in the LSJ article... the runway's being extended **to** 8,500 ft, not **by** 8,500 ft. (Which is why you see the world record comments below the article)

http://lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/NEWS01/709120394
http://stabenow.senate.gov/press/2007/091207HUD.htm

hood

I'm waiting to hear on all the other improvements that are in the Airport's master plan. Things like a freeway offramp right into the airport, an entire new terminal, new hangers a rail head and warehouses for UPS. According to the master plan they want a new terminal with an International section by 2013.

MichMatters

Yeah, the terminal, even as updated as it is, is still pretty embarrassing for a capital city of a major U.S. state. And, yes, it definitely needs some kind of freeway and new/improved railroad spur directly to it. The whole facility leaves a lot to be desired. Though, I will say that there is are some decent reasons for us having such a po-dunk airport complex, and that's because our metro is wedged between other larger metros that take most of our flights. Actually, our location has hurt us in other ways (i.e. convention center), too.

gary

Continental announced they will be starting flights from Lansing to Cleveland starting May 4, 2008...

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007709140347

MichMatters

This is a very promising development for the region:

Airport's cargo facility plans advance

Lansing airport officials are moving forward on a plan by a local developer to build new cargo-related facilities.

The Capital Region Airport Authority last week authorized the airport's executive director to sign a lease agreement with East Lansing-based Gillespie Group to use airport land for a nearly 50,000-square-foot building.

It's very smart for Capital Region to focus on cargo operations, as that will be the future of small, secondary airports like Lansing's.

BTW, Jared, can you change the title of this thread to reflect the new name of the airport. Also, off topic, but is there a code for quotes?

Jared

I changed the title of the thread to reflect the new name of the airport. The code for quotes is:

[quote]the quote goes here[/quote]

MichMatters

Thanks.

MichMatters

Some not so great news. This leaves Lansing with only two airlines, which only provide flights to Detroit and Minneapolis. Lansing is just a bit too close to metro to support anything beyond expensive niche service for passengers. Allegiant was awfully convenient. I used them a few times over the years.

Allegiant leaving Lansing airport

Kathryn Prater • kprater@lsj.com • November 11, 2008 • From Lansing State Journal

Allegiant Air LLC is pulling out of the Lansing market, leaving the region with two airlines at Capital Region International Airport.

Las Vegas-based Allegiant said Monday it will drop service from Capital Region International Airport early next year and shift the flights to Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids for what it said were competitive reasons.

...

The shift from Lansing to Grand Rapids was designed to distance Allegiant from competitors at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, she said.

"Fare wars" in Detroit led to pricing that "weakens demand, and it weakens our ability to have price control," she said.

"The other carriers all compete pretty aggressively, and so you get some pretty irrational pricing," Squyres said. "As our business strategy, we are nowhere near any major city that offers low-cost service. Lansing's proximity to Detroit forced us to compete with Detroit, and that's not really what we do."

Detroit's low-fare carriers include Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. and Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc.'s AirTran Airways.

However, there are no carriers that offer low-cost flights to Florida from Grand Rapids, Squyres said.

"We believe this will allow us to serve a greater part of the state of Michigan, and at the same time move farther away from the competitive influences of Detroit," she said.

...

"Competition for low-fare service is very aggressive," he said. "The Grand Rapids economic development community has been on record about its desire to recruit a low-fare airline. It's apparent that Lansing was simply outbid in the case of Allegiant Air."

Capital Region will continue to focus on developing its international passenger and cargo service, Selig said.

...

I really hope we bolster our cargo service.

hood

This was real disappointing, I hope they can do something positive with the airport. I'd like to see that new terminal.

micro

I thought the airport thread was the best for this. The new Peckham building on N. Grand River Ave. and the airport entrance is pretty far along and looking good. It has nothing to do with the airport, but I just thought it would be nice to see this building when visitors are first leaving the airport. I don't have a good digital camera, so I don't have pics so sorry for that.

MichMatters

That's good to hear. The abandoned Burger King has really irked me being at the very entrance to the airport. Grand River, as it is, already isn't the best 'first look' to present to visitors, but to have an abanonded property right at the entrance to Cap City Blvd. is just horrible.