airports

Ford Airport proposes new system to prevent bacterial slime in nearby creek

Lindsey Smith — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:07:40 +0000

The main airport in Grand Rapids is proposing to build a new system to prevent the buildup of a bacterial film in a nearby river. The system would be the first of its kind at airports in Michigan.

In the winter, airplanes across the state are sprayed down with a fluid to prevent the buildup of snow and ice.

At Gerald R. Ford International Airport, roughly a third of that de-icing fluid makes its way into a small creek nearby. Bacteria in the creek can easily break down the fluid but they create a smelly film in the process.

The state considers the bio-slime a nuisance, not a human health risk. But it does deplete the oxygen, choking out aquatic life.

Closings of Michigan airport control towers delayed

The Associated Press — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:49:00 +0000

DETROIT (AP) - The closings of three air traffic control towers in Michigan are among 149 nationwide that will be delayed.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it needs more time to deal with legal challenges to the closures announced because of government-wide spending cuts.

The planned tower shutdowns include those at W.K. Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek, Coleman A. Young in Detroit and Sawyer International in Marquette County's Sands Township.

Detroit airport terminal reopened after evacuation

The Associated Press — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:17:57 +0000

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) - Authorities evacuated the smaller of two terminals at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for about two hours and detained one person as a bomb squad responded to a suspicious item at a security checkpoint.

The airport says the item was found at a Transportation Security Administration screening checkpoint at 5:50 a.m. at the airport's North Terminal in Romulus. The check-in lobby was shut down.

The bomb squad left the terminal with the item, which had been in an X-ray machine, and travelers were allowed to return about 8:20 a.m.

TSA to relax security standards starting April 25th

Stateside Staff — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:15:50 +0000

The TSA will be relaxing its security standards, at least a little.

Starting April 25th, you will be able to carry onboard pocketknives with blades less than 2.36-inches long and no wider than a half-inch.

Souvenir baseball bats, golf clubs, billiard cues, lacrosse and hockey sticks will also be allowed.

The TSA's announcement was greeted by howls of protest from flight attendants, federal air marshals, some pilot unions, aviation insurers, even airline CEOs.

Critics say in the hands of the wrong passengers, the knives can be used to harm flight attendants and other passengers.

The TSA insists it’s unlikely in these days of hardened cockpit doors and other preventive measures that the small folding knives could be used by terrorists to take over a plane and that allowing the little knives onboard frees up TSA screeners to look for non-metallic bombs.

There's a hitch.

Here in Michigan, pocket knives are not allowed in Michigan airports.

So at the end of next month, Uncle Sam gives the green light to small pocket knives. The question is, will Lansing or the TSA have the final say on the rules.

We spoke with Aviation attorney Pete Tolley. He gave us a breakdown on the Michigan law that was passed after 9/11, and answers the question, "is there a way states can defer TSA rules when it comes to defining their individual list of forbidden items?"

$16.8 million expansion unveiled at Flint's Bishop Airport

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:05:28 +0000

Flint’s Bishop Airport unveiled a $16.8 million expansion at a public dedication ceremony Tuesday morning.

From the Flint Journal:

The construction project included a larger Transportation Security Administration area, which was opened in October.
It also added 47,000 square-feet of terminal space, four gates and doubled the width of the corridor linking two sections of the airport.
About $7 million for the project came from FAA grants and the airport used about $9 million of its reserve funds to pay for the rest.

The expansion is expected to double the airport’s capacity to accommodate 2 million passengers.

- Jordan Wyant, Michigan Radio Newsroom