DaveMetroD wrote:Does DTW offer incentives/subsidies for new routes? My mind says yes for international but I found nothing online to back that thought.
The Icelandair and Delta flights to Reykjavík and Delta flights to Dublin makes me wonder about that possibly having happened.
The possibility of Aer Lingus coming to DTW is what really makes me wonder since they apparently love handouts to start service to a new airport.
I think WCAA management is not interested in route development and attracting new airlines. Their (CFO and CEO) priorities are to fix the concrete, increase public safety and ensure their operating budget can be covered by the revenues that come in (via landing fees, gate fees, concessions, parking etc). Since DTW does not even have a dedicated air service development manager (they let go of the previous one), the responsibility falls on the CFO, Amber Hunt. The new WCAA administration building was needed, but it was also a project of self-aggrandization in my eyes. There is a gym that I think is probably used by no one. It's also probably 300% bigger than it needs to be, and at 4 stories is excessively big for an airport administration team.
The last two airlines to launch DTW did so because of their own analysis, and because Ahmet Bolat (Chairman of TK went to UofM and he made DTW a priority). WCAA doesn't ruffle feathers with Delta, and despite enplanements and operations not returning to pre-pandemic numbers, no one is holding the airport accountable. In my eyes, the leadership chases awards and certifications to prove to the community that they are fit for the job when in reality, the airport is becoming less and less relevant and the costs to airlines are increasing. With MSP now #2 and having two strong carriers serving the market, DTW is unlikely to regain that spot.
Given that the CFO does not come from an airline background and that the management team at the WCAA is not from the industry, it's really shows in the way that the airport priorititizes. For example, the whole renaming of the North Terminal to the Warren Cleage Evans terminal screams nepotism since Warren Evans installed Chad Newton as CEO, despite Chad Newton having no airport managerial experience. It was in essence a steam-rolled appointment after Chad Newton was interim CEO. The truth lies in that he was public safety officer along side Evans in the early days. Evans appoints Newton, Newton as a thank-you renames the terminal after the still-in-office Evans. This level of nepotism cost the airport a lot of money that likely could have been used for better uses after the industry reels in from the pandemic. Not to mention that the renaming caused a lot of problems because they didn't inform the GDS systems of the new name and passengers had North Terminal on their tickets despite the airport renaming the terminal to Evans.
What are some of the other failures of the WCAA at DTW?
- Lack of adequate catering facilities - DOCO brings in frozen meals from Chicago because they do not have the capacity to do it all in DTW since LSGs departure.
- Lack of cargo facilities - Only FedEx, UPS have cargo facilities (of their own). Air General does not handle widebody. Delta uses a converted hangar. Air France, Turkish, RJ all off-airport. LH recently moved to the all Nomads building. WCAA would insist that air cargo go to YIP despite the fact that international carriers carry a substantial amount of belly cargo.
- No underground service road to get from the Air Cargo area to the main terminal area. You have to leave the AOA.
- Inability to attract a lounge at DTW from a credit-card, priority-pass, or another major airline. DTW is likely the largest air market without lounges operated by AA/UA. This is why DTW, a 1 flight a day station, has a lounge despite being only 1 of 5 US airports to operate a LH lounge.
I'm sorry for the negative post, but when I look at airports of similar stature to DTW, it's only a matter of time before the award winning design of the McNamara can no longer cover for the lack of foresight from the WCAA. By and by, DTW and MSP have been on par with another over the past few years, but MSP is taking the lead at a much faster pace (kudos to them). Despite the positive change with the city of Detroit, I fear that the WCAA is a relic of the past.
