Airports In Detroit, Michigan: A Comprehensive Guide

Detroit, Michigan is served by several airports, including the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET), Detroit Metropolitan Area (DTT), Willow Run Airport (YIP), and Detroit Metro Airport. The Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is Michigan's largest airport, located in Romulus, a suburb of Detroit. It offers international and domestic flights and is about 23 miles from the city centre. The Coleman A. Young International Airport, on the other hand, is a smaller airport located in Detroit and is about 8 miles from the city centre.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)

The airport is operated by the Wayne County Airport Authority and boasts six runways, two terminals (McNamara and Evans), and 129 in-service gates. The A concourse, intended for all aircraft, has 78 gates, 12 of which are dedicated to international departures and arrivals processing. This concourse also features a large, laminar flow water feature and a pet relief area for passengers travelling with pets or service animals. The signage in the terminal is in English and Japanese, with messages in English, Japanese, and Mandarin reminding travellers to set their watches to the Eastern Time Zone.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport serves over 140 destinations and provides connections to the metropolitan Detroit area, Toledo, Ohio, Ann Arbor, Windsor, and Southwestern Ontario in Canada. The airport is accessible by public transit, with several bus routes connecting it to downtown Detroit and the wider region. These include the RTA's Detroit Air Xpress (DAX) express bus, SMART's FAST Michigan limited-stop bus route, and two local SMART bus routes (125 and 280).

The airport has a long history, with Wayne County planning an airport in the western townships as early as 1927. In 1946-47, most airline traffic moved from the cramped Detroit City Airport (now Coleman A. Young International Airport) to Willow Run Airport, and by 1958, Detroit-Wayne was included in the first group of American airports to receive new long-range radar equipment, becoming the first inland airport in the US certified for jet airliners. Today, the airport has maintenance facilities capable of servicing and repairing large aircraft, such as the Boeing 747-400.

Coleman A. Young International Airport

Covering 300 acres of land, the airport features two runways, an Air Carrier Terminal, an Executive Terminal (with 14 large hangars), 129 small hangars, and 145 based aircraft. It is a Class C gateway airport with 5,090 usable runway space and handles more than 75,000 aircraft operations. The airport is owned by the City of Detroit and is managed by the Airport Department, which is responsible for acquiring, developing, and operating aviation facilities, as well as representing the city in aviation matters.

The airport primarily focuses on pilot training and caters to private and corporate flights, with many private and corporate jets based there. However, it has not had regular commercial airline service in almost 30 years due to challenges with meeting federal standards and acquiring sufficient land for expansion. Despite this, there have been efforts to revitalise the airport and maximise its economic benefit to the community.

Willow Run Airport

The history of Willow Run Airport dates back to its opening in 1942, where it played a significant role in the American industrial effort during World War II. Operated by the Ford Motor Company, the Willow Run manufacturing plant produced 8,685 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers before closing in June 1945. From 1946 to 1947, passenger airlines serving Detroit temporarily moved from Detroit City Airport to Willow Run, making it a significant hub for airline travel at the time. During this period, Willow Run Airport also witnessed the founding of the first rental car operation at an airport, Avis Airlines Rent a Car Systems by Warren Avis.

In 1947, the airport was sold to the University of Michigan for $1.00, with the condition that it be operated as a research facility. This led to the establishment of the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center, which later became the Willow Run Research Center. The research conducted at the facility contributed to national defense initiatives, including early work in antiballistic missile defense and remote sensing.

Today, Willow Run Airport covers 2,392 acres and has two runways, a continuously staffed FAA control tower, and US Customs operations. The Yankee Air Museum, located in one of the airport's hangars, boasts a large collection of vintage aircraft. The airport is also home to the headquarters of the worldwide cargo airline Kalitta Air. Willow Run Airport was named for a small stream that flowed through the area until the late 1930s, and its history is intertwined with the automotive industry, as Henry Ford once owned the property that became the airport's runways and taxiways.

Detroit Metro Airport

The airport serves the metropolitan area of Detroit, as well as nearby regions such as Toledo, Ohio, Ann Arbor, Windsor, and Southwestern Ontario in Canada. It offers international non-stop daily flights to destinations in China and Japan, along with connections throughout Asia. Detroit Metro Airport has been recognised for its excellence in customer satisfaction, receiving awards in 2010, 2019, and 2022.

In terms of transportation to and from the airport, the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART Bus) provides a direct connection to downtown Detroit. Specifically, route 261, also known as the Michigan Ave FAST bus, connects the airport to the Rosa Parks Transit Center, with stations at the McNamara and Evans terminals.

Detroit Metropolitan Airport's A concourse

Detroit Metropolitan Airport, also known as Detroit Metro Airport, is located in Detroit, Michigan, and serves the metropolitan area of Detroit, the Toledo, Ohio area, the Ann Arbor area, Windsor, Ontario, and Southwestern Ontario in Canada. The airport is operated by the Wayne County Airport Authority and has two terminals, four concourses, and 147 gates in total.

The A concourse, which is part of the McNamara Terminal, houses 78 gates, with 12 of them dedicated to international departures and arrivals processing. The concourse is intended for all types of aircraft and features a large, laminar flow water feature designed by WET. It also offers over 1.5 miles of moving walkways and a pet relief area for passengers travelling with pets or service animals.

Signage throughout the terminal is in English and Japanese, catering to a large number of business travellers from Japan. Messages reminding travellers to set their watches to the Eastern Time Zone are broadcast in English, Japanese, and Mandarin. The A concourse also offers an additional ticketing and security area for passengers using the parking structures.

The Customs and Border Protection processing centre, located in the terminal's lower level, can accommodate up to 3,200 passengers per hour. International arriving passengers connecting to another flight are screened by TSA within the international arrivals facility before exiting back into the centre of the A concourse. The A concourse provides easy access to the other concourses and the main terminal building through pedestrian walkways.

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