Detroit Metropolitan Airport

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"DTW" redirects here. For other uses, see DTW (disambiguation).
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Logo.svg
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport DTW.jpg
IATA: DTW – ICAO: KDTW – FAA LID: DTW
– WMO: 72537
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Wayne County, Michigan
Operator Wayne County Airport Authority
Serves Detroit, Michigan
Location Romulus, Michigan
Hub for
Elevation AMSL 645 ft / 197 m
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Website www.metroairport.com
Maps
File:DTW Airport Diagram.pdf
FAA airport diagram
DTW is located in Michigan
DTW
DTW
Location within Michigan
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4R/22L 12,003 3,659 Concrete
4L/22R 10,000 3,048 Asphalt/Concrete
3R/21L 10,001 3,048 Concrete
3L/21R 8,501 2,591 Asphalt/Concrete
9L/27R 8,708 2,654 Asphalt/Concrete
9R/27L 8,500 2,591 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Total passengers (2014) 32,513,555
Cargo volume (2014) 202,066 tonnes
Aircraft operations (2014) 392,635
Source: www.metroairport.com[1]

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (IATA: DTW, ICAO: KDTW), usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport in the United States covering 7,072-acre (11.050 sq mi; 2,862 ha)[2] in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport, and one of the largest air transportation hubs in the country.

The airport is Delta Air Lines' second-largest hub in terms of daily flights.[3][4] Detroit serves as the primary gateway to Asia for the Eastern United States for Delta and is also the third-busiest gateway to Europe for the airline. The airport is a major gateway for tourism in metropolitan Detroit and is one of SkyTeam's major Midwestern hubs.[5] It is also a hub for Spirit Airlines.[6] Operated by the Wayne County Airport Authority, the airport is one of the nation's most-recently expanded and modernized airports, with six major runways, two terminals, 145 in-service gates,[7] and an on-site Westin Hotel and conference center. Detroit Metropolitan Airport has maintenance facilities capable of servicing and repairing aircraft as large as the Boeing 747-400.[8]

In 2012 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport was the 16th-busiest airport in the United States and the 44th-busiest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic. In terms of aircraft operations (takeoffs and landings), it remains one of the ten busiest airfields in North America.[7] Metro Airport also serves the Toledo, Ohio, area, approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of the airport, and the city of Windsor, Ontario and Southwestern Ontario in nearby Canada.[9] The airport serves over 160 destinations[7] and was named the best large U.S. airport in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power & Associates in 2010.[10]

History

Wayne County began to plan an airport in the western townships of the county as early as 1927. The following year the county board of supervisors issued a $2 million bond to fund the purchase of one square mile of land at the corner of Middlebelt and Wick Roads, the northeastern boundary of today's airport. Construction was completed in 1929, and the first landing was on February 22, 1930; Wayne County Airport was formally dedicated on September 4, 1930.[11] That year Thompson Aeronautical Corporation, a forerunner of American Airlines, inaugurated service from the airport. From 1931 until 1945, the airport housed Michigan Air National Guard operations gained by the United States Army Air Forces. It was also named Romulus Field during the war. The original runway (14/32) was later decommissioned, but parts of it remain as Taxiways M-4 and P-4, crossing from southeast of Runway 3R/21L through Runway 9L/27R and ending northwest of Runway 3L/21R.

Between 1947 and 1950 the county expanded the small airport to become Detroit's primary airport. It was renamed Detroit-Wayne Major Airport in 1947, and in the next three years expanded threefold as three more runways were built. In 1949 runways 3L/21R and 9L/27R were built, and in 1950 runway 4R/22L was added. In 1946-47 most airline traffic moved from the cramped Detroit City Airport (now Coleman Young International Airport) northeast of downtown Detroit to the larger Willow Run Airport over 20 mi (32 km) west of the city, and 10 mi (16 km) west of Wayne County Airport.

Pan-Am (1954), and BOAC (1956), were the first passenger airlines at Detroit-Wayne Major. In the April 1957 Official Airline Guide, they were the only passenger airlines: three Pan Am DC-7Cs per week FRA-LHR-SNN-DTW-ORD and back, and one BOAC DC-7C per week LHR-PIK-YUL-DTW-ORD and back (skipping YUL on the return flight).

Aerial photographs of DTW from 1949 and 1956 show the airport's expansion.[12] American Airlines shifted to Detroit-Wayne in October 1958, followed by Northwest, Allegheny and Delta in the next few months. In 1958, the Civil Aviation Administration—now the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—announced the inclusion of Detroit-Wayne in the first group of American airports to receive new long-range radar equipment, enabling the airport to become the first inland airport in the United States certified for jet airliners. Also in 1958, the L.C. Smith (South) Terminal was completed and the airport was given its present name.[13]

Jet flights (Pan Am and American 707s) began in 1960. Northwest's flights to MSP were DTW's only nonstops west beyond Chicago and Milwaukee until 1966, when the remaining passenger airlines at Willow Run moved to Metro Airport. The North Terminal (later renamed the Davey Terminal) opened in 1966 and a third terminal, the Michael Berry International Terminal, opened in 1974. The last of its original three parallel runways (3R/21L) was completed in 1976. A new parallel crosswind runway (9R/27L) opened in 1993.

Republic Airlines began hub operations in 1984, and its merger with Northwest Airlines in 1986 expanded the hub. Transpacific flights began in 1987, nonstop Northwest 747s to Tokyo. The last of Metro's six runways (4L/22R) was completed in December 2001 in preparation for the opening of the mile-long, 122-gate, $1.2 billion McNamara Terminal in the airport midfield in 2002.[13] The airport remained a hub for Northwest Airlines until it merged with Delta Air Lines.[14]

The present Runway 3L/21R has had four identifiers. When opened in 1949, it was Runway 3/21. With the opening of the new west side Runway 3L/21R in 1950, the original 3/21 became 3R/21L. With the opening of the new east side Runway 3R/21L in 1976, it became 3C/21C. With the opening of Runway 4L/22R in December 2001 and the splitting of the field into two sectors (3/21 on the east and 4/22 on the west), Runway 3C/21C became Runway 3L/21R.

In 2009 Detroit Metro Airport launched its first social media efforts with participation in Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube networks.

In April 2011 Lufthansa launched a unique curbside check-in and baggage check service for premium customers from DTW's North Terminal to Frankfurt and beyond. Lufthansa became the only airline allowing international customers departing from DTW to check their bags and receive a boarding pass at the curb, while DTW becomes Lufthansa's first North American gateway with this service.[15]

Detroit fell greatly to the recession, causing airlines like British Airways to drop flights to London-Heathrow and airlines like Aeromexico and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to use codeshare flights through Delta Air Lines. The city has lost population, but Detroit Airport has grown and airlines are looking to expand or begin service. JetBlue Airways began flights to Boston, which have been so successful that the airline began Ft. Lauderdale service on April 30, 2015 and is looking to expand service to Orlando, and New York-JFK. Virgin Atlantic now serves Detroit with daily flights to London-Heathrow. Virgin will operate the flight year round in conjunction with their codeshare partner Delta Air Lines.

Royal Jordanian was the first airline to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner into Detroit, with the inaugural flight on December 1, 2014.[16]

A bus shuttle service was announced and is scheduled to begin in spring 2016 from Metro Airport to the transportation hub downtown, which will better connect tourists and business travelers from the airport to the downtown area. Currently the airport has no train system or a direct shuttle to the city. The SMART bus company offers a bus service to the city but with multiple connections which can take over an hour to downtown, whereas the proposed company would transport passengers in 25 minutes.[17]

On June 26, 2015 Spirit Airlines announced a new maintenance facility on the airport. This facility will bring 31.5 million dollars and 82 jobs to the Metro Detroit area. Spirit Airlines had a hangar that closed down, forcing the airline to do maintenance at the gate and contract the workers, but with the new facility (scheduled to open in 2016) it will retain hub activity at Metro Airport, and bring along more and new air service.[18]

Prospective flights

Middle East: Royal Jordanian is the only Middle East carrier to serve Detroit (twice weekly). Metro Detroit is home to the largest Arab population outside of the Middle East in the United States. Qatar Airways, already serving seven and soon ten US cities, may eventually serve Detroit. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Turkish Airlines have been the only Gulf carriers interested in service to Detroit.[19] As of 2010, Detroit's airport gets 40 to 50 daily arriving passengers originating from Beirut, mostly on Royal Jordanian.[20] Royal Jordanian flies the Boeing 787-8 into Detroit twice a week. CEO Tom Naughton of the Wayne County Airport Authority hints more Middle East options in the future.[21]

Low-cost carriers: Detroit has previously had only three stable low cost carriers, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines, who served very few destinations. On March 10, 2014 low cost carrier JetBlue Airways began service to Boston three times a day on the Embraer 190. This was so successful that the airline began service to Fort Lauderdale in April 2015, on the Airbus A320 and switching one flight on the Boston route to an Airbus A320. The airline plans to add New York–JFK and Orlando in the future. In light of JetBlue's successful Boston service and beginning Fort Lauderdale, Spirit Airlines has begun service to Boston as a summer seasonal destination, and adding Cancún to full-time service as well as add service to several new destinations, and continues expansion in 2016. Frontier Airlines began service to Trenton (NJ) to better connect passengers to destination on the east coast. Year round service to Orlando was introduced in November 2015 on the Airbus A321, Detroit was among only a few destinations that the A321 flew to. Frontier Airlines has also added Phoenix full time and Fort Myers as a seasonal destination. Service to Wilmington (DE) was eliminated due to the close proximity to Philadelphia. Southwest Airlines has added more flights to Detroit by adding service to several new and existing destinations along with returning flights to Orlando and Fort Myers. Southwest also operates flights with a stop and no plane change to places like Albuquerque, Houston-Hobby, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, San Francisco, Seattle, and Tampa.

In the media: In a news article released by the Albuquerque Journal, local officials are looking to diversify destinations from Albuquerque which includes Detroit.[22] Daytona Beach said that Detroit is listed as a potential market for JetBlue Airways.[23] In another news article, Manchester (UK) states that the airport has been targeting Detroit as a market that the airport wants to enter.[24] The CEO of the Wayne County Airport Authority indicates that flights to India are possible for the future. Service to Munich was a priority, so Delta Air Lines has stated it will begin service to Munich in Spring 2016.[25]Flights to Detroit through Qatar Airways are currently being evaluated.[26]

Planned development

The Airport Authority's long-term plans include an airport rail system, a new runway, and terminal expansions. The FAA projects that air traffic will grow 67% at Detroit Metro over the next 20 years, which would equate to 60 million passengers. The rail system would connect the existing McNamara Terminal and the new North Terminal together via tram with an anticipated consolidated rental car facility and a planned regional rail system. Also, the airport is considering to extend Concourses B and C in the McNamara Terminal. To pay for these projects, the Airport Authority has asked Congress to raise the current $4.50 passenger facility fee to $7.00. Former hub carrier Northwest Airlines had opposed the utilization of the passenger facility fee to fund the airport rail system.[27]

The Wayne County Airport Authority's latest FAA Master Plan includes a number of proposed future developments to be considered at such time as demand warrants and funding is available. A significant element of this plan is a proposed new fifth parallel runway.[28] This addition would add to the airport's four existing parallel runways and its two crosswind runways in order to alleviate future congestion.[29]

Terminals

Edward H. McNamara Terminal

Exterior of terminal as seen from a taxiing aircraft.
Detroit's colorful Light Tunnel, with displays choreographed to music, connects Concourse A with Concourse B and C
Delta, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic occupy the McNamara.

The McNamara Terminal, also once known as the Northwest WorldGateway, opened February 25, 2002. Designed by SmithGroup and built by Hunt Construction Group, it replaced the aged Davey Terminal. During development, the terminal was known as the Midfield Terminal.[13] The terminal is used exclusively by Delta (which merged with Northwest), Virgin Atlantic, and SkyTeam partner Air France and has three concourses, A, B, and C, which house 121 gates with shopping and dining in the center of A concourse (known as the Central Link), as well as throughout the concourses. In addition to moving walkways spaced along the length of each concourse, concourse A has a people mover, the ExpressTram, that transports passengers between ends of the 1 mi (1.6 km) Concourse A in just over three minutes. Trams arrive almost simultaneously at the Terminal Station at the midpoint of the concourse and depart in opposite directions to the North Station and the South Station, then return.[30] The McNamara Terminal opened a new baggage sorting facility in October 2008, which has improved the screening of baggage through 14 new explosive detection system devices along a fully automated conveyor system. Northwest Airlines said that it reduced the amount of lost baggage, and it improved the timeliness of bags getting to their correct flight.[31][32]

A AAA Four Star Westin hotel is connected to the terminal. Additionally, overnight guests at the hotel who are not flying can obtain a pass to enter the concourses to visit shops and restaurants. Called the Airport Access Authorization to Commercial Establishments Beyond the Screen Checkpoint (AAACE), registered guests must be cleared through the same security background check (Secure Flight) and TSA screening process as travelers to access the terminal area. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is the only other airport participating in this program.[33]

The A concourse houses 64 gates with 12 gates used for international departures and arrivals processing.[30] The A concourse is intended for all but the smaller regional aircraft. At the midpoint of the concourse is a large, laminar flow water feature designed by WET.[34] The concourse contains over 1.5 mi (2.4 km) of moving walkways. Signage through the terminal is in English and Japanese due to the large number of regular flights between Detroit and points in Japan (however, the ExpressTram does not have Japanese-language announcements), and signage in other languages is located inside international arrivals areas.

The twelve international gates are capable of dual jet bridge loading and unloading. They also contain two exit configurations depending on the arriving flight. Domestic arrivals follow the upper path directly into the terminal while international arrivals proceed downstairs to customs and immigration screening. The Customs and Border Protection processing center located in the terminal's lower level is designed to accommodate as many as 3,200 passengers per hour. International arriving passengers connecting to another flight are screened by TSA at a dedicated screening checkpoint within the international arrivals facility. Those passengers then exit directly back into the center of the A concourse.[35] Passengers arriving from international destinations who end their trip in Detroit (or connecting to a flight via North Terminal) exit directly into a dedicated International Arrivals Hall on the lower level of the terminal.

The B and C concourses currently have fifty-eight gates that are used for Delta's regional flights that employ smaller aircraft. Nearly all regional flights have jet bridges, eliminating the need for outdoor boarding.

The B and C concourses are connected to the main terminal building and the A Concourse by a pedestrian walkway under the Airport ramp. This walkway, known as the Light Tunnel, features an elaborate multi-colored light show behind sculpted glass panels extending the entire length of the walkway, as well several moving walkways. The light patterns are synchronized with an original musical score composed by Victor Alexeeff,[36] which runs for nearly 30-minutes before repeating. This installation, one of the first large-scale uses of color changing LED lighting in the United States, was produced by Mills James Productions with glasswork by Foxfire Glass Works of Pontiac, Michigan. The display won multiple lighting design awards including the prestigious Guth Award of Merit. For passengers who are prone to medical conditions such as seizures, there are buttons at each end of the tunnel that will suspend the light show for five minutes so they can pass through with no adverse effects.

The terminal has undergone updates that include new electronic terminal directories to better assist passengers. A unique feature of this is that passengers can scan their boarding passes, and the screen will direct passengers to the gate their plane departs from, and can be viewed in several other languages. Also passengers may select a restaurant on the touch screen, a menu will show what items the restaurant serves. Mini tablet devices have been installed in food court areas, where someone may order food and have it delivered to them.[37]

  • Gates A1-A78, B1-B21, C1-C27
  • Duty Free Americas
  • Desigual
  • McDonalds
  • Chic Fil A
  • Wendy's
  • National Coney Island
  • Sora Japanese
  • Andiamo
  • Delta SkyClub
  • Freedom Center Military Lounge

Airlines

North Terminal

The North Terminal, designed by Gensler and built by Walbridge/Barton Malow Joint Venture,[38] opened September 17, 2008 as the replacement for the aged Berry and Smith Terminals, which housed all non-SkyTeam airlines. Initially, Wayne County Airport Authority sought bids for the naming rights of the North Terminal, however, after two years with no successful offers, the effort ceased and the North Terminal name remained.[39]

The terminal houses all non-SkyTeam airlines serving the airport, and is considered the "D" Concourse of the airport; the McNamara Terminal has Concourses A, B, and C. The concourse has 26 gates, two of which opened in the summer of 2009 to accommodate international widebody aircraft. The two gates could not be used at the time of the building's opening because they were extremely close to Smith Terminal's C Concourse. (That concourse was demolished after flights moved to the new terminal, which enabled the final two gates at the new terminal to be completed.) The terminal features four long segments of moving walkways on the departures level, and another moving walkway on the lower level; that is for international arriving passengers to access the Federal Inspection Services area.

The North Terminal houses two six-lane security checkpoints. The terminal also has U.S. Customs & Border Protection inspection facilities located on the lower level for arriving international flights.[40]

The North Terminal has five common-use domestic baggage carousels on the lower level. Two additional carousels are located inside the Federal Inspection Services area for international flights, and a central Oversize Baggage Claim is adjacent to both the international and domestic carousel areas.

January 29, 2010, the North Terminal was named winner of the "Build Michigan" award project.[41]

  • Gates D1-D32
  • Hockeytown Cafe
  • McDonalds
  • Ruby Tuesday's
  • TGI Friday's
  • Everything ASAP
  • Sports Illustrated
  • USA Today Travel Zone

Airlines

Airlines and destinations

Countries served by flights to and from Detroit including seasonal and future destinations.

Passenger

Airlines Destinations Terminal-Concourse
Air Canada Express Toronto–Pearson North-D
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle McNamara-A
Alaska Airlines Seattle/Tacoma North-D
American Airlines Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Philadelphia, Phoenix
Seasonal: Chicago–O'Hare		 North-D
American Eagle Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington–National North-D
Apple Vacations
operated by Icelandair		 Seasonal Charter: Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana North-D
Delta Air Lines Amsterdam, Atlanta, Baltimore, Beijing–Capital, Boston, Buffalo, Cancún, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Frankfurt, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Hartford/Springfield, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madison, Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, Monterrey, Nagoya–Centrair, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham,St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Seattle/Tacoma, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Tampa, Tokyo–Narita, Washington–National, West Palm Beach
Seasonal: Albany, Appleton, Austin, Bangor, Chicago–Midway, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Cozumel, Des Moines, Evansville, Grand Cayman, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Huntsville, Jacksonville (FL), Lansing, Lexington, Manchester (NH), Munich (begins May 26, 2016),[42] Myrtle Beach, Nassau, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Pellston, Portland (ME), Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Rochester (NY), Rome–Fiumicino, San Antonio, San José del Cabo, San Juan, Sarasota, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Vancouver		 McNamara-A
Delta Connection Akron/Canton, Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Alpena, Appleton, Austin, Bangor, Binghamton, Birmingham (AL), Bloomington/Normal, Buffalo, Burlington (VT), Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Chattanooga, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Dayton, Des Moines, Elmira/Corning, Erie, Escanaba (MI), Evansville, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Harrisburg, Houston–Intercontinental, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Ithaca, Jacksonville (FL), Kalamazoo, Knoxville, Lansing, Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Madison, Manchester (NH), Marquette, Memphis, Milwaukee, Moline/Quad Cities, Monterrey, Montréal–Trudeau, New Orleans, New York–JFK, Newark, Newburgh, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ottawa, Pellston, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Saginaw, Savannah, St. Louis, San Antonio, Sault Ste. Marie (MI), South Bend, State College, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Tulsa, Washington–Dulles, Wausau, White Plains, Wilkes Barre/Scranton
Seasonal: Boston, Charlotte, Hartford/Springfield, Kansas City, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Philadelphia, Providence, Washington–National		 McNamara-A,B,C
Frontier Airlines Orlando, Phoenix (begins April 14, 2016)[43]
Seasonal: Denver, Fort Myers, Trenton		 North-D
JetBlue Airways Boston, Fort Lauderdale North-D
Lufthansa Frankfurt North-D
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia North-D
Southwest Airlines Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Dallas-Love, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix, St. Louis
Seasonal: Fort Myers, Orlando		 North-D
Spirit Airlines Atlanta, Baltimore (begins April 21, 2016),[44] Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Houston–Intercontinental, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Orlando, Philadelphia (begins April 29, 2016),[45] Tampa
Seasonal: Atlantic City, Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Myrtle Beach		 North-D
Sun Country Airlines Charter: Gulfport (MS), Minneapolis/St. Paul North-D
United Airlines Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark (begins September 7, 2016)[46] North-D
United Express Chicago–O'Hare, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, Washington–Dulles North-D
Virgin Atlantic London–Heathrow McNamara-A

Notes: ^1 Royal Jordanian operates flights to and from Detroit year round, but in the fall, winter, and spring months make a stop in Montréal–Trudeau. Summer flights are nonstop to Amman.

Cargo

Airlines Destinations
DHL Aviation
operated by Atlas Air		 Cincinnati, Minneapolis/St. Paul
FedEx Express Chicago–O'Hare, Charlotte, Columbus–Rickenbacker, Indianapolis, Memphis, Newark
FedEx Feeder
operated by CSA Air		 Findlay
UPS Airlines Chicago/Rockford, Lansing, Louisville, Philadelphia

Statistics

Top destinations

Concourse C
The ExpressTram transports passengers among three stations in the McNamara Terminal
North Terminal
North Terminal Check-in
Busiest domestic routes from DTW (Oct 2014 – Sep 2015)[47]
Rank City Passengers Carriers
1 Atlanta, Georgia 698,000 Delta, Southwest, Spirit
2 Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois 509,000 American, Delta, United
3 Las Vegas, Nevada 487,000 Delta, Southwest, Spirit
4 Orlando, Florida 479,000 Delta, Southwest, Spirit
5 New York–LaGuardia, New York 467,000 American, Delta, Spirit
6 Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas 432,000 American, Delta, Spirit
7 Phoenix, Arizona 402,000 American, Delta, Southwest, US Airways
8 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 401,000 Delta, JetBlue, Spirit
8 Charlotte, North Carolina 401,000 American, Delta, US Airways
10 Denver, Colorado 397,000 Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
Busiest international routes from DTW (2013)[48]
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 Amsterdam, Netherlands 627,344 Delta
2 Tokyo (Narita), Japan 253,786 Delta
3 Frankfurt, Germany 234,274 Delta, Lufthansa
4 Nagoya, Japan 172,061 Delta
5 Toronto (Pearson), Canada 155,432 Air Canada Express, Delta
6 Shanghai, China 152,582 Delta
7 Paris (Charles de Gaulle), France 142,726 Air France, Delta
8 London (Heathrow), United Kingdom 134,941 Delta
9 Montreal, Canada 101,071 Delta
10 Cancún, Mexico 100,005 Delta, Icelandair, Spirit

Annual traffic

Annual passenger traffic (enplaned + deplaned) at DTW, 1995 through 2014[49]
Year Passengers Year Passengers Year Passengers
2010 32,377,064 2000 35,535,080
2009 31,357,388 1999 33,967,819
2008 35,135,828 1998 30,803,158
2007 36,013,478 1997 30,732,871
2006 35,972,673 1996 27,408,666
2005 36,383,514 1995 28,298,215
2014 32,513,555 2004 35,229,705
2013 32,389,544 2003 32,738,900
2012 32,242,473 2002 32,477,694
2011 32,406,159 2001 32,631,463

Historical terminals

Michael Berry Terminal

Michael Berry Terminal the year it closed in 2008

The Berry Terminal, named for a former airport commissioner, was designed by Detroit architect Louis G. Redstone, and opened in 1974 as the international terminal at DTW. It was decommissioned on September 17, 2008, and replaced by the North Terminal; however, the airport authority voted May 20, 2009, to renovate the terminal to house its offices.[50] All international passengers would arrive at this terminal, pass through customs and immigration inspection, and continue on to their connecting flights by bus to adjacent terminals.

Originally containing six gates (two of which were removed in 2003 to allow for construction of an adjacent Northwest Airlines maintenance hangar), the terminal was later used for scheduled and charter flights. There were still several international scheduled flights on low cost carriers to destinations in the Caribbean and other warm-weathered places in the early 2000s (decade), including flights from Champion Air, Ryan International Airlines and USA3000 Airlines. Four charter airlines also used this terminal.

Since its closure in 2008, the Berry Terminal has become a popular space for commercial film and television production. Films such as Up in the Air (2009), Machine Gun Preacher (2011) and This Must Be the Place have used the now-vacant terminal as a set (in addition to shooting in and around the airport's active terminals).

During a presentation in early 2015 about upcoming construction projects, the board announced that they were looking to find a company to demolish the Berry terminal.[51]

L. C. Smith Terminal

Smith Terminal in 1962
The former Executive Terminal, 2014

The Smith Terminal, named for Detroit-Wayne Major airport visionary Leroy C. Smith, was built in 1958 (also known as the old version of The North Terminal). Though cited as the oldest of Metro Airport's terminals, that designation belongs to the Executive Terminal building located near Middlebelt Road and Lucas Drive, one-quarter-mile east. The Executive Terminal was built in the late 1920s and is still in operation today as home to ASIG, a flight support company.

The Smith Terminal's thirty-two gates originally housed Northwest Orient Airlines, Allegheny Airlines (forerunner to US Airways), Eastern Airlines, and Pan-Am, among others. A control tower was included in the construction, and served its purpose until the late 1980s, when a new control tower was built near the site of the new McNamara Terminal.

In later years, Smith Terminal hosted North American airlines other than Northwest, Continental, and later Delta, which relocated to the McNamara Terminal in 2002 before its merger with Northwest.

State of the art for its time, the Smith Terminal eventually became victim to airline expansion. The design of the building did not allow for physical expansion of the ticketing area. To accommodate additional airlines, ticketing counters were constructed on the sides of the lobby in areas that previously held lounges and retail.[52] In contrast, the North Terminal was constructed with future expansion in mind.

Spirit Airlines, which operated out of many of the gates once used by Northwest, made few upgrades to the gate areas in those parts of the terminal. The Northwest Airlines display boards near check-in counters at each gate remained in place, with the Northwest logos removed, and a Spirit information board simply affixed over the old signage.

On September 10, 2008, The Detroit News reported that Smith Terminal itself will not be demolished due to the airport authority offices remaining on the upper floors. However, the Detroit Free Press of October 9, 2008, stated that maintaining the terminal in its present condition would cost upwards of $4 million annually in utilities, a sore spot for airlines at DTW who foot the bill, in part, through airport landing fees; the airlines were hoping for a greater cost savings once the Smith and Berry Terminals were decommissioned.[53] On May 20, 2009, the airport authority formally voted to totally vacate the Smith Terminal, while retaining and renovating the Berry Terminal for its offices.[50]

Discussions were also raised regarding proposed construction of a new structure to house the Airport Authority offices and Airport Police, with a preliminary price tag of $31.5 million.

James M. Davey Terminal

The Davey Terminal was built in 1966 and was first known as "Terminal 2" or the "North Terminal". Designed by the firm of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, it was said to be the largest post tensioned building in the world. Tapering cruciform columns around the perimeter and curved beams supported five large concrete roof panels. The lack of columns allowed maximum flexibility in the interior space. The spaces between the roof panels and exterior columns were filled with glass to allow abundant natural light into the building.[54] It was renamed the "J. M. Davey Terminal" in 1975 in honor of former airport manager James M. Davey. It originally contained three concourses labeled C to E, as well as a Host Hotel which later was rebranded Marriott.[13] In the early 1980s, a separate ticketing area was constructed to the north of the Davey Terminal, along with Concourses F and G to eventually accommodate Northwest Airlines' regional jet fleet.

Over time, the terminal and added concourse began showing its age due to its layout and poor maintenance, hastened further by increased aircraft traffic, which it was not designed to handle efficiently. Despite this, more gates were added to Concourse C in a short-term expansion project in the early 1990s, making it 26 gates in length. This concourse was considered the worst by most travelers due to its long distance from the center of the terminal, and for its length.

The Davey Terminal was originally the principal base of operations for Republic Airlines, which merged with Northwest Orient Airlines to become Northwest Airlines in 1986. Upon relocation of Northwest operations to the McNamara Terminal, the Davey Terminal was mothballed for three years before demolition of the ticketing area and Concourse G began October 17, 2005, to prepare for the North Terminal project. All concourses of the Davey Terminal and adjoining Marriott hotel, except gates 1 to 11 of Concourse C, were subsequently demolished in 2005–06 (the remaining gates were in use by Spirit Airlines until the new North Terminal opened on September 17, 2008).[13]

Parking and ground transportation

The McNamara Terminal Parking Structure is an 89 acres (36 ha) 10-level facility, which opened in February 2002. It is one of the largest parking structures in the world and includes a ground transportation center, pedestrian bridge, two luggage check-in locations, conveyors and bridges to transport luggage, six restrooms, three offices for parking officials, and two electrical substations. The structure can accommodate 11,489 cars in seven user groups. Parking for the North Terminal is offered in a garage known as the Big Blue Deck.[55] One additional surface lot, named the Green Lot serves as overflow parking. A second surface lot, the Yellow Lot closed April 5, 2012.[56] Four additional, privately owned parking lots are located outside airport grounds (Airlines Parking, Park 'N' Go, Qwik Park, U.S. Park). Motorcycle parking is free at the airport. Motorcycles can be parked in a separate covered area from cars at the McNamara Terminal Parking Structure.

The airport is accessible from Interstate 94 (I-94), which is the closest entrance to the North Terminal, and from I-275 via Eureka Road, which is closer to the McNamara Terminal. John D. Dingell Drive, named after long-time Congressman, is an expressway built in 1999 to access the McNamara Terminal and connects the I-94 and Eureka Road entrances of the airport. Many other local roads (including Goddard Road, Northline Road, Ecorse Road, Middlebelt Road, Merriman Road, and Wick Road) provide access to the airport and its surrounding property.[57]

Most major rental car companies serve the airport through shuttle busses to offsite locations. Taxis are provided under contract with MetroCab (approximate cost to downtown Detroit is $48), while limousine and luxury vehicle service is provided by MetroCars.[58]

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) operates bus routes 125 (Fort Street – Detroit) and 280 (Middlebelt Road), that stop at the airport hourly and connect with the rest of Metro Detroit.[59]

Terminal To Terminal shuttles provide free transport between the McNamara and North Terminals. Robert Q. Airbus also provides independent shuttle services to destinations in Southern Ontario, and most hotels located within the airport perimeter provide their own shuttle services as well.

The McNamara and North Terminals also have cell phone lots. The McNamara Terminal cell phone lot is located south of Eureka Road between I-275 and the airport entrance ramp. The North Terminal cell phone lot is located near I-94 at the Middlebelt Road exit and near the on-airport car rental facilities. Both cell phone lots are clearly marked and unattended vehicles are prohibited.[60]

Metro Airport has also introduced a new system called 1>2>3 PARK which enables travelers to pay by swiping their credit or debit card. This new system is simple because it does not need a parking stub to know the duration of the travelers' stay. As of now, the "Big Blue Deck", the surface parking lots, and the McNamara Terminal parking structure currently have and use this new system.[61]

The Ground Transportation Center is directly across from the North Terminal near the Big Blue Deck parking structure and has been expanded to include 800 additional parking spaces.

The Michigan Flyer provides bus service between the airport and Ann Arbor, Jackson, and East Lansing eight times daily.

Out-of-town shuttle service is available for passengers wishing to connect to flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

The planned SEMCOG Commuter Rail system, with terminals at Ann Arbor and Detroit, would stop at the airport and provide rail transportation to and from the city.[62] Because the line will use existing infrastructure, it will not directly serve the airport, but connect via shuttle. The planned airport station will be approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the airport.

Awards

  • J.D. Power and Associates ranked Metro Airport No. 1 in overall customer satisfaction nationwide among large airports in 2009 and 2010, up from No. 2 in 2008.[10][63]
  • Airports Council International (ACI) ranked Metro Airport the No. 3 best airport in North America along with the Ottawa, Canada airport in 2006. ACI also named Metro Airport the No. 3 best airport with 25–40 million passengers in 2006.[64]
  • Airports Council International (ACI) ranked Metro Airport the No. 5 best airport in North America in 2007. ACI also named Metro Airport the No. 3 best airport with 25–40 million passengers in 2007.[65]

Accidents and incidents

  • June 12, 1972, after a stopover in Detroit American Airlines Flight 96 a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 with 56 passengers and 11 crew from Los Angeles International Airport en route to Buffalo, New York suffered a cargo door failure and explosive decompression shortly after departure form Detroit Metropolitan Airport while flying over Windsor, Ontario. It is thus sometimes referred to as the Windsor incident.[66] The aircraft sustained damage which left the pilots without full flight controls but the plane returned to Detroit for a successful emergency landing. There were no fatalities but several serious to minor injuries.
  • July 31, 1972, Delta Air Lines Flight 841; members of the Black Liberation Army took over the airplane in flight using weapons smuggled on board, including a Bible cut out to hold a handgun. The plane held 7 crew and 94 passengers, none of whom was killed during the hijacking. Five hijackers who had boarded with three children took over the plane. The plane flew to Miami where the passengers were exchanged for $1 million in ransom. The plane was then flown on to Boston where it refueled before flying to Algeria. Algeria seized the plane and ransom which they returned to the U.S. but the hijackers were released after a few days.
  • March 4, 1987, Northwest Airlink Flight 2268, operated by Fischer Brothers Aviation, a CASA 212 was on a scheduled flight from Mansfield to Detroit with an intermediate stop in Cleveland when it crashed while landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The plane yawed violently to the left about 70 feet (21 m) above the runway, skidded to the right, hit 3 ground support vehicles in front of Concourse F and caught fire. Of 19 occupants onboard (16 passengers and 3 crew), 9 were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be pilot error.[67]
  • August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255,[68] bound for Phoenix, Arizona, crashed on take-off from Metro's 8,500-foot (2,600 m)-long Runway 3 Center (Now Runway 3L). All but one passenger on the aircraft were killed; the lone survivor was a young girl, Cecelia Cichan, who lost both of her parents and her brother. The NTSB determined that the accident resulted from flight crew's failure to deploy the aircraft's flaps prior to take-off, resulting in a lack of necessary lift. The aircraft slammed into an overpass bridge on I-94 just northeast of the departure end of the runway.[69]
  • December 3, 1990, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 1482, bound for Pittsburgh, collided with a Boeing 727-200 Adv. operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 299, bound for Memphis, on runway 03C. Seven passengers and a flight attendant on flight 1482 were killed. The cause of the accident is listed as "pilot error."[70][71]
  • January 9, 1997, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft operating as Comair Flight 3272 crashed nose down 18 miles (29 km) from the airport while on approach into Detroit. All 26 passengers and 3 crew members were killed. The cause is listed to be the "FAA's failure to establish adequate aircraft certification standards for flight in icing conditions, the FAA's failure to ensure that an FAA/CTA-approved procedure for the accident airplane's deice system operation was implemented by U.S.-based air carriers, and the FAA's failure to require the establishment of adequate minimum airspeeds for icing conditions."[72]
  • December 25, 2009, Nigerian national Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate an explosive device on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, an Airbus A330 from Amsterdam to Detroit as the plane was approaching Detroit. The device failed to go off correctly, and the suspect suffered burns to his lower body. Three other passengers had minor injuries. The White House said it considered the incident an attempted terrorist attack.[73]

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

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External links

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