GRR's Management Taking Positive Attitude, Hopes Ranking Will Be Beneficial

US News and World Report, with the help from the Boyd Group, recently put together a ranking of the worst airports in the nation in regards to a combination of on-time performance and average load factor, from information compiled by J.D. Powers and Associates.

The ranking looked at the 47 largest hub and non-hub airports in the US -- and the higher the ranking, the worse the combination of late and crowded flights.

The study did not look at peripheral things such as parking or cleanliness, but at the airport's ability to accommodate passengers if a flight is cancelled or delayed.

Out of 53 regional airports, Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, MI, was ranked the most miserable, with 35.1% of its flights delayed and an average of 78.1% of its flights full, according to WZZM-13 News.

GRR's Deputy Manager, Phil Johnson, is focusing on the positive. He told WZZM 13 Wednesday, "It makes sense, it's not good news but it's good news for helping market our airport to carriers -- to bring in more seats. In that regard we will be taking full advantage of the information."

"This is truly an airline issue, not an airport issue. It's an airline issue. And we're imploring them to add more seats into Grand Rapids," he added.

Here are the US News and World Report's top five regional and major airports best and worst.

Regional airports
Most miserable:
Grand Rapids, MI: Gerald R. Ford International
Fort Myers, FL: Southwest Florida International Airport
Buffalo, NY: Niagara International
Portland, ME: Portland International Jetport
Palm Beach, FL: Palm Beach International

Least miserable:
Little Rock, AR: Adams Field
Knoxville, TN: McGhee Tyson
Tulsa, OK: Tulsa International
El Paso, TX: El Paso International
Islip, NY: Long Island-Macarthur
Jackson/Vicksburg, MS: Jackson-Evers International

Major airports
Most miserable:
Detroit, MI: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
Chicago: O'Hare
Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Douglas International
New York: Kennedy International
Newark, NJ: Newark Liberty International

Least miserable:
Oakland, CA: Metropolitan Oakland International
Houston: William P. Hobby Airport
San Jose, CA: San Jose International
St Louis, MO: Lambert International
Kansas City, MO: Kansas City International

FMI: www.grr.org, www.jdpower.com, www.aviationplanning.com