Airport History
Welcome to our History page. Each article opens up to more if you click "Read More..." link.
1928-31 The First Grand Forks Airport
- The first airport in Grand Forks was located just southeast of where the intersection of Highway 2 and Interstate 29 is now. Some historical articles dating back to 1928 are published on a third party website. Read more...
1959-84 Norman Midboe Historical Collection
- A very important part of our airport’s history is a man named Norman Midboe (1922-2015). Mr. Midboe started working for the Grand Forks Airport in 1941 at age 19, and became manager in 1961. He was at the helm until he retired 23 years later in 1984. His leadership brought many changes to the airport, most of which were written about in the local newspaper. Mr. Midboe was diligent about clipping those articles and keeping them organized in scrapbooks. In 2006, Airport Authority staff member Coleen Peterson was pleased to have had the chance to visit with him and listened… Read more...
2009 – Honor Flight
- Northern Valley Honor Flight - September 25 & 26, 2009 Written by Barb Zavala, Northern Valley Honor Flight Chair The Northern Valley Honor Flight, based out of Grand Forks, ND, recently completed its second trip sending a total of 198 WWII veterans, between the two flights, to Washington, DC. The trip, which was completely free for our area WWII veterans, was provided by funds donated by our generous communities. This trip was instrumental to show our appreciation and gratitude to our WWII "heroes," who saved the world and returned home to build our country. After checking in at the Red… Read more...
2011 – Byron L. Dorgan Terminal Construction
- The Byron L. Dorgan Terminal construction began on July 2, 2009 and was opened for it's first arrival on August 29, 2011. Photos and videos of the construction project and celebratory events are in album tabs below. Moved In The Byron L. Dorgan Terminal received its first arrival on the evening of August 29th and its first departure on August 30th, 2011. To passengers, everything went as smoothly as could be, and almost surprisingly, it went fairly smooth for the airport employees as well. A lot of work went into planning for the move, and those involved were congratulated for… Read more...
2014 – Stephen Rucinski Maintenance Center Dedication
- Stephen M. "Skip" Rucinski, age 66, passed away on January 19, 2013. Skip joined the Grand Forks Airport in 1970, and had been the longest serving employee at the airport at the time, 43 years. Skip's knowledge of the airfield and its facilities was legendary, and he has been missed. Around the time of his death, the Airport Authority was in the beginning stages of planning to build a new maintenance center/snow removal equipment (SRE) storage building, and it was a natural decision to name the building after him. There is so much to say about Skip, and a lot… Read more...
2014 – GFK’s 50 Year Anniversary
- The airport celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary on August 18, 2014. Click here to view a copy of the event’s special newspaper section published in the Grand Forks Herald. Patrick Dame was the Executive Director of the Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority during this 50th Anniversary Celebration. Below is a transcript of his speech, followed by some photos taken that day. Good Afternoon and welcome to the 50 year celebration of the Grand Forks International Airport Mark Andrews Field. My name is Patrick Dame and I am the Executive Director of the Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority. To start out, I… Read more...
2016 – ARFF Building Opens
- A ribbon cutting ceremony to formally open the Airport's new fire station was held on May 4th, 2016. The new Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) facility replaces a 25-year-old station and is a 17,185 sq. ft., one story structure built to accommodate crew and equipment, including living quarters that feature a commercial-style kitchen, lounge area, training room, offices and exercise room. The ribbon cutting marked the official opening of the facility that had been under construction for a year at a cost of $4.4 million. The ARFF facility and staff provide fire and EMS response to aircraft and tenants located… Read more...
GFK Will Get You to Arizona!
- Just think of all the fun things you can do in Arizona! Need help? Check out this link to their Travel Guide and more! Then, contact Allegiant or Delta to buy your tickets from GFK, where you'll find great people to see you off. And last but not least, tag us on your photos when you get there - click on one of the social links at the top of this page to follow us. Read more...
If You Could Go Anywhere on Delta…
- Where is your dream vacation? If you could hop on a Delta flight at GFK and go anywhere, where would it be? Here's one idea for you and your family - this year, why not book a flight to the Big Apple - New York City? The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, the Empire State Building, Broadway... Oh, and the list goes on and on! Here's a link to a Pinterest board with tons of ideas. When you get there, don't forget to tag us on one of your social media pictures. See the links at the top of this… Read more...