New GFK Terminal

[GeauxSioux]

Finishing touches on GFK

Workers continued Monday to put the finishing touches on the new $21 million Byron L. Dorgan Terminal at Grand Forks International Airport.

The two-year construction project is nearly complete, and an invitation-only dedication ceremony is planned Wednesday evening, with a public open house scheduled for Thursday. The new terminal will open to passenger traffic Aug. 30.

The new terminal will open with two gates, but Dame said that the airport has the ability to add additional gates in the future.

The airport has seven daily flights to and from Minneapolis on Delta. Leisure carrier Allegiant Air also offers two weekly flights to and from Las Vegas and the Phoenix area.

Airport officials have been aggressively seeking new service for the airport and recently met with prospective carriers at a conference in Cleveland. Dame wouldn

[almostheavenin2011]

Finishing touches on GFK

Hopefully if there is another airline the city will not give them 500K in free money out of the taxpayers pockets.

[star2city]

Allegiant's website is now allowing the booking of an Orlando-Grand Forks flight, with the first scheduled for November 17th @ $95 price one way. Looks like mostly Sunday and Thursday service.

Allegiant flies into the Sanford airport, which is nearly an hour north of downtown Orlando, rather than Orlando International.

[Smoggy]

Allegiant's website is now allowing the booking of an Orlando-Grand Forks flight, with the first scheduled for November 17th @ $95 price one way. Looks like mostly Sunday and Thursday service.

Allegiant flies into the Sanford airport, which is nearly an hour north of downtown Orlando, rather than Orlando International.

Dang. I was hoping for Los Angeles.

[darell1976]

Dang. I was hoping for Los Angeles.

Go to Fargo for that.

[Irish]

Dang. I was hoping for Los Angeles.

With a name like Smoggy, it makes sense

[Smoggy]

Go to Fargo for that.

don't want to.

[Smoggy]

With a name like Smoggy, it makes sense

I was living in Cali when I create my name. I still have family there and travel out to watch a Pac 10 game each year. Hate the state though.

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/business/3873279-planning-ahead-grand-forks-airport-preparing-next-20-years

That has implications for the airport's infrastructure. Allegiant Air wasn't flying out of Grand Forks when the new terminal was designed, and Delta Air Lines is now shifting to larger aircraft, Crystal said.

"So we have a lot of congestion on the apron when those aircraft are here, and it's very difficult for them to maneuver," she said

If you're telling me that Allegiant's occasional flights and Delta's CRJ-900s are creating unanticipated "congestion" that will require significant improvements at a brand new airport terminal that isn't yet 5 years old, the designers and planners should be strung up and publicly flogged on principle alone.  How is that even possible?  They had one job, with just two gates.  I'm not saying that we should be configured for A380's, but to build a terminal with an apron that gets 'congested' within 5 years with relatively small aircraft is asinine.  How are we ever going to get back to having two carriers?

[Vegas_Sioux]

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/business/3873279-planning-ahead-grand-forks-airport-preparing-next-20-years

If you're telling me that Allegiant's occasional flights and Delta's CRJ-900s are creating unanticipated "congestion" that will require significant improvements at a brand new airport terminal that isn't yet 5 years old, the designers and planners should be strung up and publicly flogged on principle alone.  How is that even possible?  They had one job, with just two gates.  I'm not saying that we should be configured for A380's, but to build a terminal with an apron that gets 'congested' within 5 years with relatively small aircraft is asinine.  How are we ever going to get back to having two carriers?

JLG should have been strung up day 1 with the all glass east facing windows that didn't have window coverings.  Patrick Dame should have been fired for only putting in 2 jet bridges all they did was recreate the former terminal and add a second level. 

[SiouxVolley]

Allegiant flies to Los Angeles, Clearwater (Tampa Bay), Fort Lauderdale, and Punta Gorda (Fort Myers area), so flights to any of these from GFK would be nice.  Bring more Canadians down.

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

Pax numbers way down.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4272017-flying-low-boarding-down-20-percent-grand-forks-airport

File this under "Huge Surprise."  Has anyone priced Delta out of GFK recently?  Holy hell!  Monopoly pricing to say the least.  Makes those 1- or 5-hour jaunts down the highway seem like a no-brainer, even with a hotel stay.

[nodak651]

"Airport officials cited a declining Canadian dollar and federal subsidies for essential air service directed to regional airports in Devils Lake and Thief River Falls, Minn., as reasons for decline in Grand Forks. Devils Lake has seen more boardings in the last year since offering direct flights to Denver, and Thief River Falls had a similar boost when it started regular flights to the Twin Cities."

I believe Trumps newly proposed budget completely guts the Essential Air Service subsidies.  The federal government subsidizes the airlines by something like $250 million per year to fly out of smaller airports.  (source)

Assuming congress follows through with this specific part of the new tax proposal, direct flights out of Devil's Lake and Thief River, that the GFH article addresses, will likely go away.  I think this would help the Grand Forks airport, and coincidentally, Amtrak, which the government also over funds.  Come to think of it, he probably want's to cut Amtrak funding as well, but I haven't read anything on it yet.  Either way, let the free market work.

 

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

10 hours ago, nodak651 said:

Assuming congress follows through with this specific part of the new tax proposal, direct flights out of Devil's Lake and Thief River, that the GFH article addresses, will likely go away.  I think this would help the Grand Forks airport, and coincidentally, Amtrak, which the government also over funds.  Come to think of it, he probably want's to cut Amtrak funding as well, but I haven't read anything on it yet.  Either way, let the free market work.

Amtrak apologist here. The Amtrak debate is old and tired. Most people conveniently forget how much highways and air travel are subsidized. Free markets only work on a level playing field. Political hot potatoes that they are, long-distance trains are here to stay, and I think that's a good thing.

[UNDColorado]

12 hours ago, nodak651 said:

"Airport officials cited a declining Canadian dollar and federal subsidies for essential air service directed to regional airports in Devils Lake and Thief River Falls, Minn., as reasons for decline in Grand Forks. Devils Lake has seen more boardings in the last year since offering direct flights to Denver, and Thief River Falls had a similar boost when it started regular flights to the Twin Cities."

I believe Trumps newly proposed budget completely guts the Essential Air Service subsidies.  The federal government subsidizes the airlines by something like $250 million per year to fly out of smaller airports.  (source)

Assuming congress follows through with this specific part of the new tax proposal, direct flights out of Devil's Lake and Thief River, that the GFH article addresses, will likely go away.  I think this would help the Grand Forks airport, and coincidentally, Amtrak, which the government also over funds.  Come to think of it, he probably want's to cut Amtrak funding as well, but I haven't read anything on it yet.  Either way, let the free market work.

 

I hope the Denver to Devils Lake flights don't go away. I am flying up in June for a long weekend of fishing for $265 round trip. That is tough to beat.

[moser53]

On November 1, 2015 at 11:50 AM, Vegas_Sioux said:

JLG should have been strung up day 1 with the all glass east facing windows that didn't have window coverings.  Patrick Dame should have been fired for only putting in 2 jet bridges all they did was recreate the former terminal and add a second level. 

Thought about this post since I first saw it here. Patrick Dame came here for a. cup of coffee then leaves or is sent away.

Question is air service in GF so bad that  it's very hard for economic development like Grand Sky to happen in GF. The rest of the cities in the state are happy about it. Just maybe.

 

[gfhockey]

Prices in gf are double Fargo and devils lake 

[southpaw]

22 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Prices in gf are double Fargo and devils lake 

Yup, it was significantly cheaper for me to fly in/out of Jamestown or Devils Lake than GF.

[jdub27]

4 hours ago, southpaw said:

Yup, it was significantly cheaper for me to fly in/out of Jamestown or Devils Lake than GF.

That United route is significantly subsidized and works well as long as you are going to Denver or can connect on a United flight from there.

I was pricing flights out for a few different trips (including the UW football game) and surprisingly found Grand Forks cheaper on some of them than Fargo and on par with most others. However, depending on your destination, there are some where Fargo is quite a bit cheaper than Grand Forks. Part of it is there is more than just Delta to choose from.

[northernraider]

37 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

Prices in gf are double Fargo and devils lake 

I occasionally check prices out of Winnipeg and they tend to be $100 or more cheaper then GFK, which is a significant savings for two people. Certainly worth the extra drive. 

Anyone see the fluff article about GFK being the third busiest airport in U.S.?  I know its based on touches, but lets not compare it to Ohare. 

[Vegas_Sioux]

3 hours ago, northernraider said:

I occasionally check prices out of Winnipeg and they tend to be $100 or more cheaper then GFK, which is a significant savings for two people. Certainly worth the extra drive. 

Anyone see the fluff article about GFK being the third busiest airport in U.S.?  I know its based on touches, but lets not compare it to Ohare. 

 Know what you are saying but the feds have too. Just because it’s pipers and and the occasional crj doesn’t mean it’s less sure ohare is busy but those guys we know what we are doing you get a green Sioux or a green green in the pattern you have to be on your toes. 

[moser53]

On November 1, 2015 at 11:50 AM, Vegas_Sioux said:

JLG should have been strung up day 1 with the all glass east facing windows that didn't have window coverings.  Patrick Dame should have been fired for only putting in 2 jet bridges all they did was recreate the former terminal and add a second level. 

THIS   Was he hired after the airport design or was he the designer?

 

[NoiseInsideMyHead]

https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/travel/4038136-American-Airlines-to-launch-service-from-Fargo-to-Phoenix

A great development for the region, but another kick in the shorts for Grand Forks.

Delta shows absolutely zero interest in opening up the country for us; a daily to their hub in SLC would make western travel infinitely easier.

[Kab]

Salt lake and Denver are 2 musts for gfk 

Williston has several Denver flights a day 

lack of airport leadership in my view 

 

[Sioux>Bison]

This is a problem for all small airports. United and Delta stick with one hub because it is easier to operate. I live out west and United and Delta only fly to Denver and Salt Lake which makes it a pain to fly anywhere in the eastern Midwest. Is there any small airport out there that flies to MSP and Salt Lake?