Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

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Detroit Metropolitan Int'l Airport (DTW)
IATA: DTW - ICAO: KDTW
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Wayne County Airport Authority
Serves Detroit, Michigan
Elevation AMSL 646 ft (197 m)
Coordinates 42°12′44.8″N, 83°21′12.2″W
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
4R/22L 12,003 3,659 Paved
4L/22R 10,000 3,048 Paved
3R/21L 10,001 3,048 Paved
3L/21R 8,501 2,591 Paved
9L/27R 8,708 2,654 Paved
9R/27L 8,500 2,591 Paved
Old DTW Airport Layout Showing The Edward H. McNamara Terminal
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Old DTW Airport Layout Showing The Edward H. McNamara Terminal
Detroit's colorful Light Tunnel connecting Concourse A with Concourse B/C in the McNamara Terminal
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Detroit's colorful Light Tunnel connecting Concourse A with Concourse B/C in the McNamara Terminal
Edward H. McNamara Terminal
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Edward H. McNamara Terminal
The McNamara Terminal ExpressTram is used to transport passengers from one end of the terminal to the other
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The McNamara Terminal ExpressTram is used to transport passengers from one end of the terminal to the other

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (IATA: DTW, ICAO: KDTW), sometimes called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport, or simply DTW, is an airport in Romulus, Michigan, near Detroit. The airport is a major hub and the operational headquarters for Northwest Airlines and its Northwest Airlink partners, Mesaba 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 airport's with six major runways, three terminals, 158 gates, and an attached Westin Hotel and conference center. It has large maintenance facilities capable of servicing and repairing the Boeing 747. As of 2006, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is the eleventh busiest airport in the United States and the seventeenth busiest airport in the world.[1]

Contents

[edit] 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 decided to expand 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. (Today's Runways 3L/21R and 9L/27R in 1949 and Runway 4R/22L in 1950) 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.

Throughout the early 1950s, more large airlines, including 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 with 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.[2]

An interesting footnote: 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.

[edit] Terminals

[edit] Michael Berry Terminal

The Berry Terminal 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. Upon completion of the new North Terminal, the Berry Terminal will be razed.

The following airline uses the Berry Terminal:

  • Spirit Airlines (International Arrivals) (Cancun)
  • USA 3000 Airlines (Cancun, Fort Myers, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Punta Cana, St. Petersburg (FL), and San Jose Cabo)

The following charter airlines use the Berry Terminal:

[edit] 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 older aged Davey Terminal, which principally housed Northwest Airlines.

The terminal is mainly used by Northwest Airlines, but houses several other airlines as well, many 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, known as the "ExpressTram" that gets passengers from one end of the mile-long (1.6 km) Concourse A to the other, arriving at the three different boarding stations, "Main","North", and "South", in less than 3 minutes.

The "A" concourse holds 64 gates with 10 gates being used for international departures and arrivals processing. The "A" concourse is intended for the bigger types of 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 10 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 58 gates. The gates are used for Northwest's short-haul and regional flights as well as Continental and Delta flights. All regional flights, with the exception of a limited few SAAB aircraft departing from the end of Concourse B, 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)
  • Delta Air Lines (Atlanta, Salt Lake City)
  • Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
  • Northwest Airlines
    • Domestic: (Albany, Anchorage [seasonal], Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Boston, Bozeman [seasonal], Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago-Midway, Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Flint, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro/High Point, Greenville/Spartanburg, Harrisburg, Hartford, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jackson Hole [seasonal], Jacksonville, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Lansing, Las Vegas, Lexington, Los Angeles, Louisville, Madison, Manchester (NH), Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Saginaw, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Sarasota/Bradenton, Seattle/Tacoma, St. Thomas [seasonal/begins 2007], Syracuse, Tampa, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan, West Palm Beach)
    • International: (Amsterdam, Beijing, Bermuda [seasonal], Brussels [begins May 7, 2007], Calgary [seasonal], Cancun [seasonal], Cozumel [seasonal], Düsseldorf [begins June 5, 2007], Frankfurt, Grand Cayman [seasonal], Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo [seasonal/begins 2007], London-Gatwick, Manila, Mexico City, Montego Bay, Montréal, Nagoya-Centrair, Nassau [seasonal], Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Rome-Fiumicino [seasonal], Shanghai-Pudong [via Tokyo-Narita; Seeking Government Approval To Restore Nonstop Service], Shannon [begins Spring 2007], Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver [seasonal])
    • Northwest Airlink operated by Mesaba Airlines (Akron, Allentown, Alpena, Appleton, Binghamton, Birmingham (AL), Bloomington/Normal, Champaign/Urbana, Charleston (WV), Charlotte, Charlottesville, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Des Moines, Elmira, Erie, Flint, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Kitchener/Waterloo, Knoxville, Latrobe, Lexington, London (ON), Louisville, Marquette, Moline, Montréal, Muskegon, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Pellston, Pittsburgh, Roanoke, Rochester (NY), Saginaw, St. Louis, Sault Sainte Marie, Savannah, South Bend, State College, Toledo, Traverse City, Wausau)
    • Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Akron, Albany, Appleton, Asheville, Bangor, Binghamton, Burlington, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charlottesville, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Dayton, Des Moines, Duluth, Elmira, Erie, Evansville, Fayetteville (AR), Fort Wayne, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Halifax, Harrisburg, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Knoxville, Lansing, Lexington, Lincoln, Little Rock, Myrtle Beach [seasonal], Newburgh/Stewart, Norfolk, Omaha, Ottawa, Portland (ME), Quebec, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester (MN), Rockford, St. Louis, San Antonio, Shreveport, South Bend, Springfield (MO), Syracuse, Traverse City, Tulsa, Wausau, Wichita, Winnipeg [seasonal])
  • Royal Jordanian Airlines (Amman)

[edit] L. C. Smith Terminal

The Smith Terminal, built in 1957, is the oldest of Metro Airport's terminals. The Smith Terminal's 32 gates houses U.S. airlines other than Northwest, Delta, and Continental, which currently are located in the McNamara Terminal. 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.

The following airlines use the Smith Terminal:

[edit] James M. Davey Terminal

The Davey Terminal was built in 1966 and was first known as "Terminal 2" or "North Terminal" or "The Old Northwest 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.

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 started on October 17, 2005. The site is being used for the new North Terminal.

[edit] North Terminal

North Terminal vehicular approach
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North Terminal vehicular approach
North Terminal arrivals curb
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North Terminal arrivals curb

The North Terminal Redevelopment (NTR) Project is a planned 26-gate terminal complex being designed to replace the airport’s older Berry & Smith terminal complex. When complete, the new North Terminal complex will be used to accommodate Detroit's' airlines that are currently operating out of the aging L.C. Smith and Berry Terminals. The new terminal will also have a Federal Inspection Station (FIS) to accommodate international flights.

When complete, the new North Terminal complex will be used to accommodate the following scheduled airlines:

The new 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.

[edit] 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.

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.

Major rental car companies such as Alamo, Enterprise, and Hertz serve the airport. Taxi and limousine service is provided by local companies which include Metro Airport Taxis and Metro Cars which includes the company Checker Sedan.

The Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) [3] provides bus routes 125 (Westbound) and 285 (Northbound), 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.

[edit] Various airport names

Besides its official name, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, the airport is colloquially known by other names:

  • Detroit Metropolitan Airport
  • Detroit Metro Airport
  • Metro Airport
  • Detroit International Airport
  • DTW
  • KDTW
  • Wayne County Detroit Metropolitan Airport
  • Detroit Metropolitan International Airport

[edit] Accidents

  • On August 16, 1987, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255,[1] 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 was 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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Detroit Metro Airport by the Numbers (Detroit Free Press: November 12, 2006)
  2. ^ Metro Airport History
  3. ^ Smart Bus Routes in Metro Detroit

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../d/e/t/Detroit_Metropolitan_Wayne_County_Airport_676e.html"