$10.2 Billion Economic Impact Generated From Detroit Metro Airport

DETROIT, January 21, 2014 – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) generates more than 86,000 jobs and about $10.2 billion in total economic impact throughout Michigan, according to a study released today by University of Michigan-Dearborn and the Wayne County Airport Authority.

“This study illustrates that the air transportation infrastructure we build and maintain locally has a measureable and beneficial impact throughout Southeastern Michigan and beyond,” said Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Thomas Naughton. “The continued success of our vital airports translates to economic growth and business development that reaches far beyond our terminal walls and runways.”

Lee Redding, associate professor of business economics at UM-Dearborn, along with students and staff from iLabs, the university’s center for innovation research, estimated how DTW impacts the economies of Michigan and the Southeastern Michigan Air Trade Area by measuring revenues, incomes and jobs. The group surveyed more than 1,600 passengers traveling through the airport in July and August 2013.

“The airport’s economic impact extends far beyond Detroit,” Redding said. “Detroit Metro Airport connects us to the world. More than 600,000 people rely on the airport to purchase and sell Michigan products, which ultimately benefits the state’s economy.”

Research findings include:

• DTW annually serves approximately 32 million passengers, including 3.1 million business and pleasure travelers who stay in Michigan, thus benefiting the state’s economy.
• Visitors to metropolitan Detroit annually spend about $1.7 billion after arriving through DTW, which has a total economic impact on the area of $3.2 billion.
• Visitors to Michigan annually spend about $2.7 billion after utilizing DTW as their gateway to Michigan, which has a $4.9 billion impact on the state’s economy.
• Air transportation creates an economic impact that exceeds $5 billion for Michigan, with $1.7 billion in earnings that support more than 35,000 jobs.
• About 660,000 people travel through DTW to arrange the purchase or sale of Michigan products or services.
• For the ten-county area around metropolitan Detroit, there is a total economic impact of more than $8 billion, which supports more than 72,000 jobs and earnings to these workers and Michigan business owners of more than $2.6 billion.

To see the full report, click here.

About UM-Dearborn

Founded in 1959 with a gift of just over 200 acres of land and $6.5 million from the Ford Motor Company, University of Michigan-Dearborn is a metropolitan university serving southeastern Michigan, committed to excellence rooted in strong academics, innovative research and programming and civic engagement. The University has 9,100 students pursuing more than 100 bachelor's, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees in liberal arts and sciences, engineering, business, health and education. A top-ranked university with a faculty devoted to teaching, and students committed to achievement, UM-Dearborn has been shaped by its history of partnering with local leaders and communities, and is committed to finding solutions for the challenges that face the region.

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is one of the world’s leading air transportation hubs. With service from 13 scheduled passenger airlines, Michigan’s largest airport offers more than 1,200 flights per day to and from nearly 150 non-stop destinations on four continents. In 2010, DTW ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction among large airports in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airport Satisfaction Study. With two new state-of-the-art passenger terminals, six jet runways, and an onsite AAA Four-Diamond Westin Hotel, DTW is among the world’s most efficient, customer friendly and operationally capable airports in North America. DTW is operated by Wayne County Airport Authority, which also operates nearby Willow Run Airport—an important corporate, cargo and general aviation facility. The Airport Authority is entirely self-sustaining and does not receive tax dollars to support airport operations. Visit www.metroairport.com for more information.