Rockford Airport Featured In Fox News Story

It's been a pretty good summer for the Rockford Airport and now RFD is getting a little national attention.

The Chicago Rockford International Airport is featured in a Fox News story about what smaller airports are doing do to remain relevant and stay competitive as airlines shrink and consolidate service destinations. The story highlights several locations around the country and puts the focus on RFD's customer service as key to customer loyalty.

Airport director Mike Dunn explains that a strategy aimed at vacation travelers is succeeding:

Serving customers from Madison, Wis., Milwaukee and the Chicago suburbs, Rockford emphasizes its free parking, which it increased recently by 10 percent; its "Airport Ambassador" volunteers, who help passengers with their bags and directions; and its large number of wheelchairs for seniors and others who need them. As its main carrier is Allegiant, which flies to vacation destinations, Rockford recently opened a Caribbean-themed restaurant on the second floor to reflect its “The Vacation Starts Here” theme, Dunn said.

Airports in Lexington, Ky, Albuquerque, N.M., and Savannah-Hilton Head in Savannah, Ga. also are featured in the story.

The spotlight comes just weeks after AAR, the nation’s largest maintenance, repair and overhaul provider, announced they would be leasing a new hangar facility on RFD grounds. That could mean up to 500 new jobs coming to the Stateline area.