RECORD TRAFFIC HIGH FOR DETROIT METRO

The US gateway notes that the annual upturn, which amounts to 1.5 million passengers more than the previous year, was primarily due to a number of new routes.

Operator, Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA), is quick to point out that “several domestic routes” were added last year.

These included a new Spirit service to Austin, Texas; new Delta flights to to Bozeman, Montana; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Sacramento, California; and Worcester, Massachusetts; while Frontier added Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Miami, Florida.

In addition, Delta made it easy to visit Puerto Rico, by adding non-stop service to San Juan.

“Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport had a very successful year in 2019,” said WCAA’s CEO Chad Newton.

“In one year, we’ve reached the highest number of total passengers, ranked highest in customer satisfaction according to the JD Power 2019 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, and earned top honours from ACI as one of the best airports for customer service in the Airport Service Quality Survey.

“We will continue to work hard for our passengers who have put so much faith in us.”

The number of outbound passengers visiting or residing in the Detroit area contributed to the jump in total passengers and enplanements, says DTW.

Indeed, the airport set an all-time record for O&D traffic in 2019, with a nearly 6% increase from the previous year.

“This is the fourth consecutive year of record O&D traffic,” remarked WCAA’s director of air service development, Joe Cambron.

“Electrification and self-driving vehicle engineering job gains drove Detroit air traffic to new highs. Detroit’s economy is strong, and DTW offers many direct flights to more than 140 nonstop destinations, which allows us to service those traveling for leisure or business.”

The airport adds that “several exciting developments are on the horizon for 2020”.

These are said to include Lufthansa launching non-stop services between DTW and Munich, Germany, in May. The nearly $21 million F&B transformation in the North Terminal will reach completion. Also in 2020, Taxiway P will be reconstructed along with a new connector taxiway, completing the two-year project on Runway 3L/21R.