Regional Air Alliance celebrates Southwest's decision to remain in GRR market

In a press conference yesterday morning, Dick DeVos spoke as the Chairman of the Regional Air Alliance of West Michigan to discuss the progress made the organization. RAAWM, formed as a 501c3 in 2008 by DeVos and other area business leaders, was dedicated to improving air transit in the West Michigan area. One of their biggest goals was to bring a low cost carrier to GRR, thereby increasing quality and competition and lowering costs of air transit. We reported on these endeavors in a previous edition of Rapid Growth.

DeVos mentioned how in the beginning, Southwest Airlines had been uninterested in the West Michigan market. "Jet Blue," he says, "hardly returned our calls." But AirTran took an interest in the region and moved into Grand Rapids in May 2010. Recently, Southwest Airlines announced it would continue to serve the Grand Rapids area following its merger with AirTran in May 2011. DeVos said that initially, Southwest had indicated they would reach a decision about staying in the market come summer, but the early announcement had been a pleasant surprise.

Since AirTran's involvement in West Michigan and as of the first quarter of 2011, the total passenger capacity has increased by 23.4 percent and the number of actual passengers increased by 32.8 percent. Meanwhile, the average air fare decreased by 9 percent. This is significant in that in 2009, GRR had the second highest airfare in the country. In this short time, it has become the 25th highest, a number DeVos and his colleagues hope to improve upon in the future.

Highlighting the importance of affordable travel options when attracting and retaining talent, DeVos marked RAAWM's future steps to also include adding more flight options and flexibility. "We hope Southwest will expand their profile," he says. Currently, AirTran only flies directly from GRR to a limited number of markets, largely on the East coast.

Doug Small, President of Experience of Grand Rapids, relates that it is now easier to attract conventions with more affordable airfare for visitors. "We've had a 36 percent national sales growth," he says. While the hotel occupancy national average is about 60 percent, Grand Rapids has increased from 50 to 57 percent since AirTran entered the West Michigan market.

DeVos encourages West Michigan residents and businesses to support improving area air travel by choosing to fly out of GRR as opposed to driving to Chicago or Detroit, where gas prices, parking and other travel costs may no longer mean savings. Additionally, flying out of GRR continues to support the low cost carriers new to the market and may encourage expanded options.

Source: Dick DeVos, Regional Air Alliance of West Michigan; Doug Small, Experience Grand Rapids
Writer: J. Bennett Rylah, Managing Editor