 |
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.
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|
|
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 Michael 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 |
|
| Detroit Metro Airport's third parallel
runway (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.
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|
|
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.
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|
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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.
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|
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. |
|
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.
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May-02
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