July 8th 2026 Ford International Airport Launches App to Improve Navigation for Travelers with Disabilities

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, June 24, 2026 - The Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority is launching GoodMaps , a new navigation system designed to enhance access for all travelers, particularly individuals with disabilities.

Originally tested through the Airport's Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship, or FLITE , GoodMaps is a digital wayfinding platform designed to help people confidently navigate complex indoor spaces. GoodMaps provides highly accurate, turn-by-turn directions through a smartphone app to enhance accessibility and independence for all travelers, including individuals who are blind, have low vision, are deaf or hard of hearing, have mobility challenges or other accessibility needs. Additionally, the app offers an alert system, which corresponds with Airport's dispatch center, to help passengers navigate during an emergency.

"We are passionate about providing an exceptional experience to all guests who choose us for their journeys," Airport Authority President and CEO Tory Richardson said. "We're excited to launch this new technology, which will offer guests who may need extra support on navigating the airport a quality resource to make their journey easier but also to improve wayfinding during emergencies.

"Through our innovation program, FLITE, GoodMaps was able to come on-site to scan and build a digital map of the Airport before working with our dispatchers and end-users on how to use the technology in emergency situations. We are thrilled to continue partnering with them to offer the app live for our guests."

To give the community an opportunity to experience the technology, the Airport will host a public demonstration event on Thursday, July 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall, located near the TSA checkpoint. Anyone interested in learning about the technology is invited to attend, including individuals with disabilities and disability advocates.

The event will include live demonstrations of the GoodMaps experience, allowing guests to explore mapped public areas of the terminal and learn how the system is being tested in alignment with ADA and FAA communication expectations.

The platform is supported in more than 27 languages via the user's device, helping ensure critical information is available and understandable to international visitors and Limited English Proficient passengers.

"Ford International Airport is demonstrating how an airport can use live testing to explore the future of accessible communication and wayfinding," said GoodMaps CEO Theresa Reno-Weber said. "By running our navigation project through the FLITE program at the Ford International Airport, we hope to inform how airports everywhere can better serve travelers with disabilities and anyone who benefits from real - time, accessible information."

The Ford International Airport has a variety of other programs and services designed to make travel for guests with disabilities easier, including its SunFlower program and Sensory Room . For more information on accessibility services at GRR, visit the Airport's webpage at FlyFord.org/amenities .

The GoodMaps app is available as a free download for iOS and Android devices.

About the Ford Airport

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is the second busiest airport in Michigan, serving business and leisure travelers with nonstop and connecting flights on eight airlines. The Ford Airport is managed and operated by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority. For more information, visit www.flyford.org or follow the airport on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram @FlyGRFord.

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