Detroit Metro Airport history

In 1940, during World War II, the United States Army assumed control of the airport and used it as a staging base to transport military aircraft to Europe.

1943: In all, 107 Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) are assigned to Romulus Army Air Field to ferry aircraft across the United States.

1944: The United States Army announces its plans to release the airport.

Upon Wayne County’s renewed control in 1947, the airport was renamed the Detroit-Wayne Major Airport.

Beginning in 1955, Wayne County Airport tried to lure commercial air service.

In 1956, the Detroit-Wayne Major Airport became one of the first to receive long-range radar through a $246 million Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) program.

By 1958, a new terminal and a longer runway were built and the airlines began moving to Wayne County Airport which became Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

In 1959, the airlines and the airport signed 50-year (eases and financing agreements which remain in effect today.

By June 1966, the final commercial air carriers move from nearby Willow Run Airport (YIP) to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

1967: Terminal 1 is renamed the L.C. Smith Terminal after Leroy C. Smith, an airport founder.

1974: The Michael Berry International Terminal is built.

1975: Terminal 2 (North Terminal) is renamed J.M. Davey Terminal, in honor of former Detroit Metropolitan Airport Manager James M. Davey.

In adopting the charter of 1982, voters were, in part, responding to many of the management problems the county was facing.

1986: Northwest Orient and Republic merge to form Northwest Airlines, creating a hub at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

1992: The FAA takes control of its new $15 million Air Traffic Control Tower.

1996: Wayne County and Northwest Airlines announce plans to build a new Midfield Terminal.

1997: Crosswinds Marsh, a 1,000-acre public park, opens in Sumpter Township.

2001: Runway 4L/22R opens, giving DTW a runway configuration of four parallel and two crosswind runways.

In 2002, airport construction continued with the addition of the McNamara Terminal.

A few years later, in 2005, the airport demolished the J.M. Davey Terminal to make room for a new North Terminal, which would be able to accommodate the increasing traffic volume.

2008: The new North Terminal opens at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, while the Smith and Berry terminals are retired as passenger facilities.

2010: Detroit Metropolitan Airport ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among large airports in the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.

2012: The Ground Run-up Enclosure (GRE) opens to significantly reduce noise in neighboring communities, when jet engines are tested at DTW after maintenance.

2014: A study by the University of Michigan-Dearborn determines Detroit Metropolitan Airport generates $10.2 billion in annual economic impact and supports more than 86,000 jobs across Michigan.