There’s been a lot of negative headlines about Detroit lately.
Rising fuel prices have severely impacted the Big 3 Detroit-based auto companies – Chrysler, Ford and General Motors have all recorded record losses this year. Just last week, Detroit’s mayor pled guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice, admitted lying under oath and resigned from office. The mayoral scandal has plagued the city since January and the resignation is actually a relief.
But this week metro Detroiters will finally have something to celebrate. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) will debut a new terminal, propelling the entire facility into the 21st century and putting a great face on a community that really needs it right now. And I speak from experience in this regard, having lived in Detroit for two years.
DTW currently ranks as the 12th-busiest airport in North America and the 22nd-busiest airport in the world. Detroit Metro’s largest terminal is the 120-gate Edward H. McNamara Terminal (also referred to as Midfield and the Northwest WorldGateway). This facility – the largest hub for Minnesota-based Northwest Airlines – opened in February 2002 and quickly garnered many international awards for passenger satisfaction and its excellent concession offerings. The expectations – from both airport management and the community – for Detroit’s new North Terminal are just as high.
The North Terminal will debut on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, and will serve 11 of DTW’s 17 airlines. At full buildout, the facility will have 31 gates. On opening day, 24 gates will be ready, but only 17 will be occupied. Three gates will be international, meaning that both terminals at Detroit Metro will be able to handle international flights. A full list of airlines serving the North Terminal is included below.
Currently named the North Terminal due to its position at the north end of the airport airfield, the facility’s name is set to change in the future. The Wayne County Airport Authority, the governing body of Detroit Metro, is exploring the potential of selling the naming rights for the terminal facility. This is a common practice for sporting facilities – Detroit’s Comerica Park and Ford Field quickly come to mind – but not in the world of airports. Time will tell if this experiment of selling airport naming rights catches on in the mainstream.
The North Terminal replaces two older structures. The four-gate Michael Berry International Terminal opened in 1974 and served international and charter flights. The 32-gate L.C. Smith Terminal opened in 1957 and – until this week – ranked one of the oldest terminal facilities at a major U.S. airport. The facility served all of the non-SkyTeam domestic carriers in addition to Air Canada. Although now rendered obsolete, these two facilities and their namesakes contributed to the state’s impressive aviation history and in that respect will be missed.
One unique feature of the North Terminal is the blue jetbridges. Much of the interior of the facility will also have royal blue accents, in part to distinguish it from the McNamara Terminal. Other elements include 12 security screening lanes and six baggage claim carousels. The North Terminal will not include Starbucks; instead, coffee connoisseurs will be able to enjoy their java at either the Coffee Beanery or Caribou Coffee. Additional concessions offerings include TGI Friday’s, Hockeytown Café and National Coney Island.
Airports are anchors – especially for landlocked cities – and are enormous economic engines for the communities they serve. The fact that Detroit Metro will now be home to two state-of-the-art terminals will likely be a great benefit for metro Detroit as economic development officials continue their efforts to diversity the region’s economy. And, if you have a chance to pass through Detroit Metro in the near future, I highly recommend it. It’s not every day that you’re able to experience a brand-new airport terminal at one of the busiest airports in the world. Enjoy!
North Terminal Airlines
Air Canada
AirTran Airways
American Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Lufthansa German Airlines
Royal Jordanian Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Spirit Airlines
United Airlines
USA3000 Airlines
US Airways
McNamara Terminal Airlines
AeroMexico
Air France
Northwest Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Note: Detroit’s mayor does not govern Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The airport is managed by the Wayne County Airport Authority.
Source: Laura Jackson for OAG
OAG contributor Laura Jackson was just two weeks old when she took her first flight on Piedmont Airlines. In junior high school, she developed a business plan for her own airline. Today she manages strategy and policy issues at one of the world's busiest airports and provides original content and aviation industry analysis for OAG.
