 |
1927 |
|
| The Airport was conceived on April 12,
1927. |
|
1928 |
|
| A $2 million bond was issued to finance
the acquisition of one square mile of land at the corner
of Middlebelt Road and Wick Road, [at the northeast corner
of today’s airport]. Called Wayne County Airport,
it served as a general aviation facility. |
|
1929 |
|
|
A landing strip was installed along with
several maintenance buildings. The Wayne County Airport
was dedicated and opened to the public in September.
The first "official" landing was February
22, 1930. Thompson Aeronautical Corporation, a predecessor
company of American Airlines, inaugurated service from
Wayne County Airport.
|
|
1931 |
|
| The Wayne County Airport became
the base for the Michigan Air National Guard. |
|
1939 |
|
|
A new administration building was built
to accommodate airline operations and to provide more
office space.
|
|
1940’s |
|
| Control of the Airport was
assumed by the U.S. Army for use as a staging base for
transport of heavy bombers to Europe. The Army constructed
new hangars, runways, and other facilities. |
|
1944 |
|
| The Wayne County Board of
Supervisors authorized a threefold expansion of Wayne
County Airport. By a vote of 63 to 1, the Supervisors
approved the recommendation of the Ways and Means Committee
to enlarge the mile square airport to cover 3.5 square
miles. |
|
1945 |
|
| The U.S. Army announced its
intentions of releasing Wayne County Airport, thus paving
the way for its use as either a primary or secondary
airport to serve Detroit and Wayne County. |
|
1947 |
|
| The Airport was renamed Detroit-Wayne
Major Airport. |
|
1948 |
|
| The Airport was expanded to
four square miles, allowing for construction of a south
parallel runway. |
|
1949 |
|
|
Runways 3C and 9-27 were built.
|
|
1950 |
|
| Runway 3L-21R was built. |
| A new air traffic control
tower and an administration building were constructed. |
| Pan American and British Overseas
Airways initiated regular service out of Detroit-Wayne
Major Airport. |
|
1952 |
|
| A new cargo building was built
and leased to Flying Tiger Line, Meteor Air Transport
and Slick Airways. |
|
1956 |
|
| It was announced that Detroit-Wayne
Major Airport would receive $1 million under the Federal
Aid-to-Airports program during fiscal year 1957. |
| A 30 year contract between
American Airlines and the Wayne County Road Commission
was signed, calling for the airline to shift operations
from Willow Run Airport to Detroit-Wayne Major Airport.
American was the first of the seven airlines operating
out of Willow Run to agree to the proposed shift of all
commercial carriers to the Wayne Major facility. |
| The Civil Aeronautics Administration
[CAA] announced that Detroit was one of the first cities
scheduled to receive long-range radar in the CAA $246
million program to prepare the nation for civil jet transports.
The new radar system was the heart of a plan designed
to handle a four-fold increase in U.S. air traffic with
minimum delay and maximum safety. The new detection device
permitted CAA controllers to scan the skies for all aircraft
up to 200 miles away. |
|
1957 |
|
| Construction began on a $10.4
million expansion program including a new terminal building
[L.C. Smith Terminal], a 10,5000 foot runway, a hotel
and restaurant. |
|
1958 |
|
| The Detroit-Wayne Major Airport
was certified as an international jet craft airport by
the Civil Aeronautics Administration which qualified
the Airport for 50 percent Federal funds for construction
of the long runways needed for jet airliners. |
| The Airport was renamed Detroit
Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. |
| American, Allegheny, Northwest
Orient, Pan Am and British Overseas moved to Metro Airport
from the Willow Run. American inaugurated air carrier
service at Metro on October 1. |
| Detroit and Wayne County officially
joined the jet age with the dedication of the $8.3 million
terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The dedication
gave Detroit the first inland commercial jet airport
in the nation. |
|
1959 |
|
| The FAA proposed new construction at Detroit
Metropolitan Airport in order to accommodate total of
5,266,000 air passengers in the next six years. |
|
Delta moved from Willow Run to Metro Airport.
|
|
1960 |
|
| The Public Bank provided banking
services at Detroit Metro. |
|
1962 |
|
| An air freight forwarder
building was built for Emery Air Freight. |
|
1963 |
|
| General aviation facilities
were expanded with the completion of 20 T- hangars and
the resurfacing of the North Hangar apron |
| The Michigan Air National
Guard apron was also resurfaced. |
| A lighted taxiway to Runway
21L was constructed. |
| A new hangar was constructed
for the Great Lakes Steel Corporation. |
|
1964 |
|
| Construction was completed
on a new fire station. |
| Aeronaves de Mexico became
the seventh air carrier to provide service at Metro Airport. |
|
1965 |
|
| The Wayne County Sheriff began
security patrols throughout Metro Airport. |
| The powerhouse was activated. |
| Construction was completed
on a new airport power plant, the Michigan Bell Telephone
Building, a United Airlines Cargo Building and an In-flight
Kitchen, a Hertz Rent-A-Car Service Building, a Texaco
Service Station, a Zantop Cargo Building, an addition
to the American Airlines Air Freight Building, and an
expanded ground level parking lot. |
| A free shuttle bus service
between the parking lots and Terminal Building began. |
|
1966 |
|
| Terminal 2 [North Terminal]
was constructed. |
| Six airlines were relocated
from Willow Run Airport to Detroit Metro. This brought
the number of scheduled passenger airline operations
at Metro to thirteen. Other operations include three
air cargo carriers and two air taxi operators. |
|
1967 |
|
| The Central Services building,
an air mail terminal for the United States Postal Department,
and a parking structure were constructed. The L.C. Smith
Terminal, Runway 9-27 and Runway 3L-21R were extended
in the $50 million bond issue. |
|
Slow but steady growth in passengers occurred with
2.85 million enplanements in 1967 growing to 5.56 million
in 1969.
:: back to top ::
|
|
1970 |
|
| Runway 9L-27R was officially
designated as a fully instrumented runway with approaches
from both ends of the runway. |
| The automated radar terminal
system became fully operational. This system automatically
displays identification, altitude, and airspeed of the
aircraft on the radar screen. |
| The center portion of Runway
3L was rebuilt. |
|
1972 |
|
| The Airport Master Plan was
completed, calling for new developments, including two
new runways. |
|
1973 |
|
| The original retention pond
was divided into two parts to allow room for construction
of a new Runway 3R-21L. |
| A fourth retention pond was
built east of Middlebelt and South of Northline Roads. |
|
1974 |
|
| The Michigan Berry International
Terminal was completed as part of a $69 million bond
issue. Also included were improved lighting and taxiways,
expansion of the L.C. Smith Terminal, Terminal 2 and
new parking. |
|
1975 |
|
| Terminal 2 [North Terminal]
was renamed J. M. Davey Terminal, honoring former Airport
Manager, James M. Davey. |
|
1976 |
|
| The last of the tree parallel
runways [3R-21L] was completed. It is 10,000 ft. long
x 150 ft. wide. |
|
1978 |
|
|
Deregulation was enacted. This act
took control away from the government and gradually
allowed the airlines to set their own fares and routes.
|
| X-ray equipment and metal
detectors were installed in the International Terminal. |
|
1979-1982 |
|
|
Substantial reduction occurred in passenger
traffic with declining national and local economies,
the air traffic controller’s strike, and airline
deregulation.
:: back
to top ::
|
|
1984 |
|
| Republic Airlines created
its hub at Metro, spurring a boom in air traffic. |
|
1986 |
|
| A $166 million bond issue
was approved to finance the Master Plan update at Metro
Airport. The renovation and expansion included new taxiways
and hold pads on the airfield to better facilitate the
flow of aircraft traffic. Improvements to Rogell Drive
and an addition to the Air Rescue Fire Fighting facility
were also included. |
| Northwest Airlines and Republic
Airlines merged creating an even larger hub at Detroit
Metro. |
| The part 150 Noise Compatibility
Study was initiated in conjunction with the Master Plan
Update. |
| The FAA initiated an Airport
Capacity Enhancement Task Force to develop a plan for
reducing aircraft delays at Metro. The plan calls for
two new runways and additional gates. |
|
1987 |
|
| Metro voluntarily initiated
a multi-million dollar program involving removal of asbestos
material from various buildings. |
| Northwest Airlines initiated
scheduled non-stop service to Tokyo in April. |
|
1988 |
|
| In October, Northwest Airlines
initiated scheduled non-stop service to Seoul. |
|
1989 |
|
| Fire Station #2 was completed,
to serve as an auxiliary crash station and the main EMS
facility at Metro Airport. |
| The Master Plan Update and
noise Compatibility Plan were completed, along with the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and the Final Economic
Impact Statement. The Master Plan Update forecasts that
Metro airport will serve 22 million enplaned passengers
in 2005, based on an average annual growth rate of 4.8
percent. |
| Northwest Airlines initiated
scheduled non-stop service to Paris and Frankfurt on
June 1st. |
| The Federal Inspection Services
and baggage claim in the International Terminal were
expanded at the cost of $7.3 million. Foreign language
signage was added at an additional cost of $77,000. |
|
Seven gates were added to Concourse C at a cost of
$7.3 million.
:: back to top ::
|
|
1990 |
|
| Northwest Airlines constructed
a $1 million ground control facility. |
| A 1,500 foot $7.4 million
extension of Runway 3L to 12,000 feet to the south allows
non-stop service to distant, overseas destinations. |
|
1991 |
|
| Guardian Industries completed
construction of its hangar near Middlebelt and Northline
Rd. |
| United Parcel Service opened
its Detroit Air Gateway hangar and ramp in August. |
| Northwest Airlines completed
a $9.6 million expansion of their flight kitchen. |
| New 3200 space parking deck
was completed in October. |
| Mesaba Airlines opened its
new Maintenance and Training Facility in October. |
|
1992 |
|
| FAA takes control of its new
$15 million Air Traffic Control Tower in September. At
250’, it’s the tallest ATCT in the Great Lakes
Region. |
| KLM Royal Dutch Airlines,
in a joint marketing agreement with Northwest Airlines,
begins non-stop service to Amsterdam. |
| Taxiways "P" and "F" are
extended to serve general aviation sites. |
| New Aircraft Rescue and Fire
Fighting Facility is opened in June. |
| New Snow Removal Equipment
Building is opened. [First part of a $13 million, 3-building
maintenance complex]. |
| Long negotiated new Air Traffic
Control procedures designed to decrease the impact of
Noise are instituted. |
|
1993 |
|
| $3 Passenger Facility Charges
began January 1st. |
| Lufthansa German Airlines
initiated non-stop service to Frankfurt in May, but terminated
service one year later as they signed a joint marketing
agreement with United Airlines to fly out of Chicago’s
O’Hare Airport. |
| Northwest Airlines begins
scheduled service to Osaka, Japan. |
| A second Crosswind Runway,
9R-27L opened in November. Its length and width are 8,500
feet by 150 feet with a grooved surface. An electronic
scan system was installed to determine runway surface
conditions. |
| $12 million computer-controlled
card access security system implemented. |
Northern portion of the parking
deck reconstruction was completed providing 3,500 additional
covered parking spaces.
:: back to top :: |
|
1994 |
|
| United States Postal Service
dedicates new 24-hour Post Office at DTW. |
| New pedestrian bridge between
new section of the parking deck and the Davey Terminal
is elevated above both levels of Rogell Drive and equipped
with moving walkway. |
| DTW initiates low power Travel
Information Radio Station broadcasting on 920 AM. |
| In June, DTW records 10th consecutive
month of record breaking passenger traffic. For the first
time in its history, DTW handled more than 2 million
total passengers for four consecutive months. |
| Michigan Department of Transportation
completes two year project to totally rebuild all ramps,
bridges and roadways at I-94 and Merriman and Middlebelt
Roads. |
| DTW commences $21 million
Airfield Lighting and Singage upgrade. |
| Northwest Airlines initiates
first ever scheduled non-stop service to Mexico City
October 1st. |
| American Airlines begins scheduled
non-stop service to Miami in November with connections
all over Latin America. |
| New Snow Removal Equipment
[SRE] facilities opened. |
| The PGA Tour Shop in the Smith
Terminal Opened in December. |
| New Exit Plaza for new parking
deck completed. |
|
1995 |
|
| DTW posted record-breaking
statistics with over 26.8 million total passengers in
1994. |
| Delta Airlines sells their
Detroit to London route to Northwest Airlines which immediately
upgrades to daily service. |
| In March, construction began
on modifications to the International Terminal and Concourse "G".
Wayne County, the State of Michigan, Northwest and Mesaba
Airlines all contributed to this $14 million demolition
and reconstruction project. |
| KLM doubles service to Amsterdam
with 14 departures per week. Northwest Airlines increases
its non-stop Frankfurt service to twice daily. |
| Flyover Bridge completed for
new parking deck. |
| Taxiway Papa-Papa and Taxiway
tango extension completed. |
| Bus Transfer area for connecting
passengers to domestic terminals completed at International
Terminal. |
| Taxicabs were upgraded to
newer vehicles and drivers were required to comply with
a dress code. |
| April, luggage carts installed
in the domestic terminals and parking deck. |
| Executive McNamara dedicated
noise Demonstration House during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. |
| During the month of May, Northwest
Airlines took over all of Concourse "C", moving
Delta, TWA, Spirit, Business Express and Comair to Concourse "A" and "B". |
| The new retail shops in the
L.C. Smith Terminal opened mid-May. They include "The
Sharper Image", "Local Color", "Top20", "Official
Sports", "Christian Dior" and "Timberland". |
| Northwest Airlines begins
scheduled non-stop service to Ottawa and Halifax, Canada. |
| In November, new Concourse
G was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. |
Federal Aviation Administration
[FAA] Great Lakes Regional Office names DTW’s
Air Traffic Control Tower [ATCT]"Facility of
the Year" for
outstanding operational performance.
:: back to top :: |
|
1996 |
|
| 1995 passenger statistics
push DTW past Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris, McCarren
in Las Vegas and Newark to become the 9th in
North America and 13th in the world in terms
of passenger traffic. |
| A new carrier, America West,
begins scheduled service at DTW in February. |
| Wayne County opens efficient
new Taxiway "Tango" connecting Taxiway "Yankee" to
Runway 9R/27L. |
| May 1st, Northwest
Airlines, [NWA] begins scheduled non-stop service from
DTW to Beijing, China 3x a week -- the First ever scheduled
non-stop service between North America and Mainland China. |
| Wayne County and NWA announce
agreement to build a new $786 Midfield terminal project
triggering projected expenditures of $1.6 million in
capital improvements at DTW. |
| British Airways celebrated
40 years of service between DTW and London on May 21st. |
| NWA extends their rampside
connecting passenger transfer service by building an
additional bus transfer stop between concourse C and
D. |
|
1997 |
|
| A new carrier, Reno Air,
begins scheduled service on January 31. |
| May 1st, British
Airways launches daily service to London [Heathrow],
and debuted the new Boeing 777 aircraft. BA is the first
airline to bring the 777 to DTW. |
| Crosswinds Marsh, a 1,000
acre public access wetland preserve in Sumpter Township
opened May 6. It was built to replace the wetlands that
were destroyed due to construction expansion projects. |
| On June 1, Northwest Airlines
opened an extension to Concourse C, including a new moving
walkway to accommodate passengers to six new gates. DTW
gate total increases to 99 gates. |
| A new moving walkway was built
between Concourse C and D in June. |
| Firefighting Training site
[a.k.a. burn pit] - a Regional training facility for
Southeastern Michigan firefighters that provides a realistic
training environment under controlled circumstances was
opened in November. |
| A ribbon-cutting dedication
was held for the new NWA international Departures Building
on November 4. NWA also announced the completion of the
luggage system expansion project. |
| A 23 ft., 2,500 pound replica
of the "Stanley Cup", representing the 1997
National Hockey League Championship, was placed next
to DTW’s main parking deck for display. |
A new carrier, Atlantic
Southeast Airlines [ASA], begins scheduled service
at DTW on December
1st.
:: back to top :: |
|
1998 |
|
| Expansion to Federal Inspection
area at International Terminal. |
| Site work began for the Fourth
Parallel Runway [4/22] and continues to be an ongoing
project. |
| Customer Service Agent Program
established in April. |
| Expansion of lower Rogell
Drive roadway in front of the Davey Terminal completed
in July. |
| Airport Central - Information
Center with interactive website kiosk, new terminal model
and expansion information opened October 1. It is located
in the main corridor near the Marriott Hotel. |
| Expanded Green Parking Lot
added 200 spaces in June. |
|
1999 |
|
| The worst snowstorm in 25
years occurred on New Years Day, causing hundreds of
flight delays and cancellations. |
| Lufthansa German Airlines
initiates new non-stop daily service to Frankfurt in
March. |
| A 21-hour, continuous placement
of 21,000 cubic yards of concrete – poured to create
the foundation of a section of DTW South Access Road – possibly
a record-breaking event. |
| Air France Concorde’s
fly in and out of DTW on May 21, 22 and 23 for Nomad’s
Travel Club sponsored trips. |
| Gregory Wing, DTW Airport
Operations Agent, receives the airport’s highest
honor – The Distinguished Medal and Citation
of Valor for saving the life of a Detroit Edison
worker in June. |
| 450 new parking spaces added
to new Red Parking Lot on East Service Drive. |
| Airport Council International
awards the Environment Achievement Award to DTW for its
creation of Crosswinds Marsh, a 1,000-acre nature preserve
which replaces wetlands disturbed by DTW’s expansion
program. |
| An extension of six new gates
was added to Concourse A for Spirit and Southwest Airlines
in mid-November. |
|
Laptop Lane, a suite of high-tech, individual offices
offering business travelers full-equipped, private
workplaces complete with high-speed computer connections
and on-site customer support was opened end of November.
|
|
Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce opened a state-of-the-art
Business/Conference Center built in partnership with
economic development organizations from the City of
Detroit; Genesse; Lapeer; Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb,
Monroe, Oakland; St. Clair; Washtenaw and Wayne Counties;
and 125 private sector investors.
:: back to top ::
|
|
2000 |
|
| DTW set another new annual record for passengers served.
Detroit Metro's 1999 total of 34,038,381 passengers represents
a 7.9% increase over last year. |
| The largest single day collection on January 24th of
over 100,000 gallons of deicing fluid runoff was collected
and hauled off airport for processing as part of the
recycling program being managed by the Environmental
Department. |
Northwest inaugurates daily non-stop service to Rome
and Milan, Italy on
April 2nd. |
| Canadian Regional Airlines partners with United Airlines
to offer daily service to Toronto, Canada. In May, Canadian
Regional operates as Air Canada providing service from
the International Terminal. |
| Northwest inaugurates twice-daily nonstop service to
Shanghai, China on April 6. |
| May 1st, Airport Director David Katz resigns to pursue
personal interests. Former Deputy Director of Airports
and Chief Financial Officer for County of Wayne, Lester
Robinson, named to succeed Mr. Katz. |
| The start of construction of a sixth runway, the 4th
parallel runway [4/22], commences in June. |
| DTW's 70th birthday was celebrated with the unveiling
of a major timeline display in the lobby of the Smith
Terminal. |
| An Idea Center opened in the Smith Terminal in August
designed to solicit customer suggestions and opinions
on what they would like to see in the renovation of the
existing terminal complex. |
| Additional parking lot, Green Lot #2, opens with 1,000
parking spaces as a long-term economy lot on the East
Service Drive. |
|
2001 |
|
| DTW sets record for year 2000 with 35,535,080 passengers
surpassing 1999's total by 4.4% |
| Spirit Airlines launches non-stop service between Detroit
and Oakland, California. Spirit is the only airline offering
non-service between the two cities. |
| Wayne County sells over $110 million in airport hotel
bonds. |
| DTW installs 50 Automated External Defibrillator kits
throughout the terminal complex. On November 7th, Airport
Police Officers A. Butson and C. Rubin received Public
Safety Citations and were recognized for facilitating
the first defibrillator save since their installation
earlier in the year. |
| Wayne County, Northwest Airlines and Westin Hotel celebrate
the ground breaking for a $85.1 million hotel scheduled
to open September 2002. |
| Wayne County Commission announces naming of new midfield
terminal as the "Edward H. McNamara Terminal" scheduled
to open in February 2002. |
| Wayne County and the FAA dedicate the new 10,000 foot,
$225 million runway 4L/22R on December 11. FAA Administrator,
Jane Garvey and Congressman John Dingell joined Executive
McNamara in cutting the ribbon. DTW only major U.S. airport
opening a new runway this year. |
In response to the tragic terrorist attacks on 9/11/01,
Governor John Engler assigns over 100 Michigan National
Guard soldiers to monitor passenger-screening activities
at DTW.
:: back to top :: |
|
2002 |
|
| Detroit Metro Airport's second main entrance road was
dedicated as "John Dingell Drive" on February
11th. John Dingell Drive provides access to Metro Airport
from I-275 and will connect millions of travelers annually
to the new Edward H. McNamara Terminal/Northwest WorldGateway.
John Dingell Drive is four miles long, six lanes wide
and built at a cost of $144 million. |
| February 24th marked the opening of the new $1.2 billion
state-of-the-art Edward H. McNamara Terminal/Northwest
WorldGateway. This terminal offers 97 gates, more than
80 shops and restaurants, an indoor Express Tram that
travels the mile-long Concourse A in less than 3 minutes,
international and domestic connections in the same facility,
and an 11,500 space parking garage. |
| Demolition began in March on the extension of Concourse
C and Concourses D through G in preparation for the redevelopment
of the North Terminal complex project. |
| Senate Bill 690, signed by Governor Engler on March
26th established the Wayne County Airport Authority.
The independent Authority will manage Detroit Metropolitan
Airport and Willow Run Airport. Both airports will remain
Wayne County facilities. |
| The Michigan National Guard soldiers pulled out in
May and were replaced by Airport Police officers to monitor
the passenger screening checkpoints. |
| The Federal Aviation Administration officially transferred
the certificate of operation to the Wayne County Airport
Authority on August 9th. |
| A new Airport Information Center opened in the Smith
Terminal lobby, replacing Airport Central. |
| The Transportation Security Administration [TSA] assumed
the passenger screening activities at Checkpoint Blue
[Concourses A/B] on August 27th. This is the first checkpoint
under their control. |
|
Ongoing |
|
|
Neighborhood Compatibility Program - acquisition or
soundproofing of certain homes located in the communities
surrounding DTW.
:: back to top ::
|
May-02
|