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'Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport' , sometimes called 'Detroit Metropolitan Airport', 'Detroit Metro Wayne Airport', 'Metro Airport', or simply 'DTW', is a major airport in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
The airport is a major hub for Northwest Airlines and its Northwest Airlink partners, Mesaba Airlines, Compass Airlines, and Pinnacle Airlines; it is also a hub for Spirit Airlines. 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, three terminals, 153 in-service gates,^[1] and an attached Westin Hotel and conference center. It has maintenance facilities capable of servicing and repairing aircraft as large as the Boeing 747.
As of April 2007, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the tenth busiest airport in the United States and the nineteenth busiest airport in the world.^[2] Metro Airport also serves the Toledo, Ohio, area, which is located approximately south of the airport, and the city of Windsor, Ontario in nearby Canada.^[3]

Contents

History

Terminals

Michael Berry Terminal

Edward H. McNamara Terminal

L. C. Smith Terminal

James M. Davey Terminal

North Terminal

Parking and ground transportation

Awards

Various airport names

Accidents

See also

References

External links

History

Wayne County authorities began planning for a new airport in the western portions of the county as early as 1927, and the county acquired one square mile of land for an aviation facility, to be called Wayne County Airport, at the corner of Middlebelt and Wick Roads on the northeastern corner of today's airport, the following year. Construction was completed in 1929, and the first official landing took place on February 22, 1930. That same year, Thompson Aeronautical Corporation, a forerunner of American Airlines, inaugurated service from Wayne County. From 1931 until 1945, the airport housed Michigan National Guard operations. The original runway (14/32) was later decommissioned. However, parts of it remain today as Taxiway Ark, transversing from southeast of Runway 3L/21R through Runway 9L/27R and ending northwest of Runway 3R/21L.
Between 1947 and 1950, county officials expanded the small airport to become Detroit's primary airport. The airport was renamed Detroit-Wayne Major Airport in 1947 and over the next three years expanded in size threefold as three more runways were built. In 1949, runways 3L/21R and 9L/27R were built and in 1950 runway 4R/22L was built. During this time, most commercial traffic shifted from small Detroit City Airport (now Coleman Young International Airport) northeast of downtown Detroit to the larger Willow Run Airport over twenty miles west of the city, and ten miles west of Wayne County Airport.
During the early 1950s, Pan-Am and BOAC began operations at Detroit-Wayne Major. 1956 marked a major turning point in the history of the growing airport. American Airlines agreed to shift operations to Detroit-Wayne, doing so two years later, accompanied by four other carriers. Also, the Commercial Aviation Administration (now the FAA) announced that year 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 aircraft operations. Also in 1958, the L.C. Smith (South) Terminal was completed to accommodate the new carriers, and the airport was renamed to its present name.
During the next decade, the remaining passenger traffic at Willow Run gradually shifted to Metro Airport, and the North Terminal (later renamed the Davey Terminal) opened in 1966 to accommodate the new arrivals. Growing international traffic necessitated the building of a third terminal, the Michael Berry International Terminal, in 1974. The last of its original three parallel runways (3R/21L) was completed in 1976. A new parallel cross winds runway (9R/27L) opened in 1993.
Republic Airlines began hub operations in 1984, and its merger with Northwest Airlines in 1986 expanded the hub greatly. Transpacific operations began in 1987 with non-stop flights to Tokyo. The last of Metro's six runways (4L/22R) was completed in December 2001. The most recent addition to Metro airport, as well as the most significant, was the opening of the mile-long, 122-gate, $1.2 billion McNamara Terminal in the airport's midfield in 2002.^[4]
The present Runway 3L/21R has held four different identifier names. When opened in 1949, it was simply Runway 3/21. With the opening of the new west side Runway 3L/21R in 1950, the original 3/21 was renamed 3R/21L. With the opening of the new east side Runway 3R/21L in 1976, it was renamed 3C/21C. With the opening of Runway 4L/22R in December 2001 and the consequent splitting of the field into two sectors (3/21 on the east and 4/22 on the west) Runway 3C/21C was renamed Runway 3L/21R.

Terminals

Michael Berry Terminal

The Berry Terminal, designed by Detroit architect Louis G. Redstone, was the former international terminal at DTW. All international passengers would arrive at this terminal, go through customs and immigrations, and continue on to their connecting flights by bus to adjacent terminals. With four gates, the terminal is now used for scheduled and charter flights. There are still several international scheduled flights on low cost carriers to destinations in the Caribbean and other warm-weathered places. There are also four charter airlines that use this terminal.^[5] Upon completion of the new North Terminal, the Berry Terminal will be demolished.^[6]
The following scheduled airlines use the Berry Terminal:

★ Spirit Airlines [International Arrivals] (Cancún)

★ USA 3000 Airlines (Cancún, Fort Myers, Puerto Vallarta [seasonal; begins December 28], Punta Cana, Sarasota/Bradenton [seasonal; begins December 18], St. Petersburg/Clearwater)
The following charter airlines use the Berry Terminal:

★ Champion Air (Cancún, Las Vegas)

★ Miami Air International

★ Omni Air International

★ Ryan International Airlines

Edward H. McNamara Terminal

The McNamara Terminal, also referred to as ''The Northwest WorldGateway'', opened on February 25, 2002. It was the replacement for the aged Davey Terminal, which principally housed Northwest Airlines, and during development it was known as the Midfield Terminal.
The terminal is mainly used by Northwest Airlines, but houses several other airlines as well, most of which are affiliated with the SkyTeam airline alliance (of which Northwest is a member). It has three concourses, "A", "B", and "C", which house 122 gates with shopping and dining in the center of "A" concourse (known as "the link"), as well as throughout the concourses. The "A" concourse has a people mover, the ExpressTram, that gets passengers from one end of the mile-long (1.6 km) Concourse A to the other, arriving at three different boarding stations, "Terminal Station" (in the center), "North Station" and "South Station", in a little over three minutes.^[7]
The "A" concourse holds sixty-four gates with ten gates being used for international departures and arrivals processing. The "A" concourse is intended for all but the smaller Northwest aircraft and all international arrivals. The concourse holds over 1.5 miles of moving walkways. English and Japanese signage is found mostly throughout the terminal (because of regular flights to and from points in Japan), as well as other languages located in central areas.
The ten international gates have dual jetbridges for a quicker deplaning time. 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. The customs and immigration office located in the terminal's lower level is built to quickly process as many as 3,200 passengers an hour. The immigration office leads back up and out into the lobby in the center of the "A" concourse, where passengers can enjoy the restaurants and shops on the concourse, or continue on their journey to their final destination.
The "B" and "C" concourses currently have fifty-eight gates. The gates are used for Northwest's smaller aircraft as well as Continental and Delta flights. All regional flights have jetbridges, eliminating the need for outdoor boarding.
The following airlines use the McNamara Terminal:

★ Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)

★ British Airways (London-Heathrow)

★ Continental Airlines (Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)

★
★ Continental Connection operated by CommutAir (Cleveland)

★
★ Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Cleveland, Newark)

★ Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Salt Lake City)

★
★ Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)

★
★ Delta Connection operated by Comair (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-JFK)

★ Lufthansa (Frankfurt)

★ Northwest Airlines (Albany, Amsterdam, Anchorage [seasonal], Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Beijing [begins 2009/pending government approval], Bermuda [seasonal], Boston, Bozeman [seasonal], Buffalo, Calgary [seasonal], Cancún [seasonal], Charlotte, Chicago-Midway, Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Columbus, Cozumel [seasonal], Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Düsseldorf, Flint, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Frankfurt, Grand Cayman [seasonal], Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Harrisburg, Hartford, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo [seasonal], Jackson Hole [seasonal], Jacksonville, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Lansing, Las Vegas, London-Gatwick, Los Angeles, Louisville, Madison, Manchester (NH), Manila, Mazatlan [seasonal], Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, Montréal, Myrtle Beach [seasonal], Nagoya-Centrair, Nashville, Nassau [seasonal], New Orleans [seasonal], New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Norfolk, Orlando, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Providence, Puerto Vallarta [seasonal], Raleigh/Durham, Rochester (NY), Saginaw, Savannah, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Sarasota/Bradenton [seasonal], Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai-Pudong [via Tokyo-Narita; nonstop service begins 2007/pending government approval], St. Thomas [seasonal], Syracuse, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tampa, Traverse City, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver [seasonal], Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan, West Palm Beach)

★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Akron/Canton, Allentown, Alpena, Appleton, Austin [begins October 15], Binghamton, Bloomington/Normal, Blountville/Tri-Cities, Champaign/Urbana, Charleston (WV), Charlottesville, Cleveland, Dayton, Elmira, Erie, Flint, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Kitchener/Waterloo, Latrobe, Lexington, London (ON), Marquette, Milwaukee [begins September 17], Muskegon, New Orleans [seasonal; begins December 19], Pellston, Roanoke, Saginaw, Sault Sainte Marie, Savannah, South Bend, State College, Toledo, Traverse City, Wausau, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton)

★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Akron/Canton, Appleton, Asheville, Austin [ends October 14], Bangor, Binghamton, Birmingham (AL), Burlington (VT), Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charlottesville, Charlottetown [seasonal], Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dayton, Des Moines, Duluth, Elmira, Erie, Evansville, Fayetteville (AR), Fort Wayne, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Halifax [seasonal], Harrisburg, Hartford, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lansing, Lexington, Lincoln, Little Rock, Moline/Quad Cities, Myrtle Beach [seasonal], Nashville, Newburgh, Omaha, Ottawa, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Quebec City, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester (MN), Shreveport, South Bend, Springfield (MO), Traverse City, Tulsa, Wausau, White Plains, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Winnipeg [seasonal])

★ Royal Jordanian (Amman)

L. C. Smith Terminal

The Smith Terminal, built in 1957, is the oldest of Metro Airport's terminals. The Smith Terminal's thirty-two gates house North American airlines other than Northwest, Delta, and Continental, which currently are located in the McNamara Terminal.^[8] All airlines in this terminal will move to the new North Terminal upon its completion in 2008. At that point, the Smith Terminal will be demolished.^[6]
Currently, the terminal is in very poor condition, due to a lack of repairs by the airport authority over the past several years in anticipation of its closure. Many areas of the terminal have insufficient lighting. Absent, too, are many of the conveniences of more modern terminals, such as a variety of concessions options. Food selection is limited in most areas of the building. There is a general lack of space in this terminal, especially in the check-in area, where additional ticketing counters have been set up off to the side to accommodate more airlines than the original construction of the terminal called for.^[10]
Northwest Airlines once operated out of this terminal, and Spirit Airlines, which now operates out of many of the gates once used by Northwest, has done few upgrades to the gate areas in those parts of the terminal. The Northwest Airlines display boards near check-in counters at each gate remain in place, with the Northwest logos removed, and a Spirit information board simply affixed over the old display board.
Dismantling of several of the gates in Concourse C of this terminal has already taken place as the construction site of the new North Terminal is directly adjacent to this terminal.^[11]
The following airlines use the Smith Terminal:

★ Air Canada

★
★ Air Canada Jazz (Toronto-Pearson)

★ AirTran Airways (Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers [seasonal], Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton [seasonal], Tampa [seasonal])

★ American Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami)

★
★ American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, New York-LaGuardia)

★ Frontier Airlines (Denver)

★ Southwest Airlines (Baltimore/Washington, Chicago-Midway, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix, St. Louis)

★ Spirit Airlines (Atlantic City, Boston [seasonal], Cancún, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Myrtle Beach, New York-LaGuardia, Orlando, San Francisco [seasonal], Tampa, West Palm Beach [seasonal])

★ United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)

★
★ United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Washington-Dulles)

★
★ United Express operated by SkyWest (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)

★ US Airways (Charlotte, Philadelphia)

★
★ US Airways operated by America West Airlines (Las Vegas, Phoenix)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin (Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Charlotte)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines (Charlotte)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines (Philadelphia, Washington-Reagan)

James M. Davey Terminal

The Davey Terminal was built in 1966 and was first known as "Terminal 2" or the "North Terminal". It was renamed the "J. M. Davey Terminal" in 1975 in honor of former airport manager James M. Davey. It contained five concourses labeled C, D, E, F, and G, as well as a hotel.^[12] Of those, Concourse C was considered the worst by most travellers due to its long distance from the center of the terminal, and its long length. Most of Concourse C is still in use today by Spirit Airlines.
The Davey Terminal was the principal base of operations for Northwest Airlines before the McNamara Terminal opened. It remained vacant for three years before demolition of the terminal began on October 17, 2005. All concourses of the Davey Terminal and adjoining hotel, except Concourse C, were demolished. The further end of Concourse C was also demolished, but the lower part of the concourse is still in use today as part of the Smith Terminal.^[13]
The site of the demolished section of the Davey Terminal is being used as the site of the new North Terminal.^[14]

North Terminal

The North Terminal Redevelopment (NTR) Project is a planned 26-gate terminal complex being designed to replace the airport’s older Berry and Smith terminals.^[15] Construction is already underway, and opening is slated for 2008. When complete, the new North Terminal will be used to accommodate airlines that are currently operating out of the aging L.C. Smith and Berry Terminals, as well as non-SkyTeam airlines operating in the McNamara Terminal. The new terminal will also have a Federal Inspection Site (FIS) to accommodate international flights and an airline club/lounge, which will most likely be up for purchase before the terminal opens.
The North Terminal will incorporate two security checkpoints (each with multiple lanes) in a way that will allow smooth operation and screening of passengers.
When complete, the North Terminal will be used to accommodate non-SkyTeam airlines which are:

★ Air Canada

★ AirTran Airways

★ American Airlines

★ British Airways

★ Frontier Airlines

★ Lufthansa

★ Royal Jordanian Airlines

★ Southwest Airlines

★ Spirit Airlines

★ United Airlines

★ USA 3000 Airlines

★ US Airways
The North Terminal will also have a Ground Transportation Center which will be directly across from the terminal near the current "Big Blue Deck" parking structure.^[16]

Parking and ground transportation

The Midfield Terminal Parking Structure is an 89-acre (36-hectare) 10-level facility, which opened in February 2002. It is one of the largest parking structures in the world. It 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 park 11,489 cars in seven user groups. Parking for the L.C. Smith Terminal (and the North Terminal in the future) is offered in a garage known as the ''Big Blue Deck''.^[17]
The airport is accessible from I-94, which is the closest entrance to the Berry and Smith Terminals. The McNamara Terminal is immediately accessible from I-275. John D. Dingell Drive (named after John D. Dingell) is an expressway that runs from I-94 to Eureka Road. This expressway was built in 1999 for access to the McNamara Terminal. Many other local roads (including Goddard Road, Northline Road, Ecorse Road, Middlebelt Road, Merriman Road, and Wick Road) all have access to the airport and its surrounding property.^[18]
Major rental car companies such as Alamo, Enterprise, and Hertz serve the airport. Taxi and limousine service is provided by local companies.^[19]
The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) ^[20] provides bus routes 125 (Fort Street - Detroit) and 280 (Middlebelt Road), one per hour, that connect the airport with the rest of Metro Detroit. There is a continuous curbside shuttle that connects the Smith and Berry Terminals with the McNamara Terminal.
The McNamara and Smith Terminals also have cell phone lanes. The Smith Terminal cell phone lane is located in front of the "Big Blue Deck" and the McNamara Terminal cell phone lane is located on Dingell Road near I-275. Both lanes are clearly marked and unattended vehicles are prohibited.^[21]
Metro Airport has also introduced a new system (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" and surface parking lots currently have and use this new system. In the summer, it is expected that the McNamara Terminal parking structure will use this system.^[22]
Michigan Flyer provides bus service between the airport and Lansing, East Lansing, and Jackson eight times daily. Beginning October 2007, Michigan Flyer will extend service to Ann Arbor as well.
The planned SEMCOG Commuter Rail system, with termini at Ann Arbor and Detroit, would stop at the airport and provide rail transportation to and from the city.

Awards

★ J.D. Power and Associates ranked Metro Airport #2 in overall customer satisfaction nationwide among large airports in 2007, up from #4 the previous year.^[23]

★ Airports Council International (ACI) ranked Metro Airport the #3 best airport in North America along with the Ottawa, Canada airport.^[24]

Various airport names

Besides its official name, ''Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport'', the airport is colloquially known by other names:^[25]

★ Detroit Metropolitan Airport

★ Detroit Metro Airport

★ Metro Airport

★ Detroit Metropolitan International Airport

★ Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County International Airport

★ DTW (i.e. IATA/FAA Airport Code)

★ Northwest WorldGateway at Detroit

Accidents

★ On August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255,^[26] bound for Phoenix, Arizona and Santa Ana, California, crashed on take-off from Metro's 8,500 foot 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 takeoff, resulting in a lack of necessary lift. The aircraft slammed into an overpass bridge on Interstate 94 just northeast of the departure end of the runway.

★ On December 21, 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, which was on a Frankfurt-London-New York-Detroit route, exploded and killed all on board and several on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland.

★ On December 3, 1990, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 bound for Pittsburgh, ^[27] collided with a Boeing 727-200 Adv. operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 299 ^[28]. bound for Memphis on runway 03C. Eight passengers and four crew members on flight 1482 were killed. The cause of the accident is listed as "pilot error."

★ On January 9, 1997, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia aircraft operating as Comair Flight 3272, crashed nose down, 18 miles 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." ^[29]

See also

★ Bishop International Airport

★ Coleman A. Young International Airport

★ Selfridge Air National Guard Base

★ Willow Run Airport

References

1. 2006 Financial Report (Wayne County Airport Authority)
2. Bureau of Transportation Statistics: Final Passenger Data January-April 2007
3. Directions to Metro Airport from Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4. Metro Airport History
5. Berry Terminal Map
6. Metro Airport's Berry and Smith Terminal's To Be Replaced By New North Terminal
7. McNamara Terminal Map
8. Smith Terminal Map
9. Metro Airport's Berry and Smith Terminal's To Be Replaced By New North Terminal
10. Metro Airport's Smith Terminal Restaurants, Shops, and Services
11. North Terminal Project Map
12. Metro Airport History
13. Metro Airport History: 2000's
14. Metro Airport History: Ongoing
15. Metro Airport's New North Terminal Project Site Plan
16. North Terminal Ground Transportation Center Design Renderings
17. Metro Airport Parking Information
18. Metro Airport Driving Accessibility
19. Metro Airport Ground Transportation Information
20. Smart Bus Routes in Metro Detroit
21. Metro Airport Cell Phone Lane Information
22. Metro Airport Unveils New Parking System, 1>2>3 PARK
23. Detroit Metro Airport Ranked #2 Overall in Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power
24. Detroit Metro Airport Ranked #3 Best Airport by ACI
25. Northwest WorldGateway at Detroit Information
26. Northwest Airlines Flight 255 Accident Description
27. Northwest Airlines Flight 1482 Accident Description
28. Northwest Airlines Fight 299 Accident Description
29. Comair Flight 3272 Accident Description

External links

★ Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport Homepage

★ Wayne County-Detroit Metro Airport History