Detroit Metro Airport Posts Best-Ever First Half

DETROIT, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The first half of calendar year 2005 set an all-time record for passenger traffic, for the first six months of any year, at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) according to preliminary statistics released by the airport's business office today.

A total of 18,202,109 passengers used DTW through June 2005, besting the first six months of 2004 by 7.3% and the airport's all-time record year of 2000 by 2.4%.

Aircraft landings and take-offs increased 3% from 2004 to 264,157, but remain behind the number of aircraft operations in 2000 when 277,164 aircraft arrived and departed DTW in the first six months.

Even international passenger traffic, which has suffered since 9/11, showed improvement jumping 8.6% compared to 2004. This category is down 20% compared to the first six months of 2000, but last year at this time it was down 37% against DTW's benchmark year.

"Excellent fares and new service by existing and new-entrant carriers have pushed these increases," said Lester Robinson, CEO Wayne County Airport Authority. "While the airlines' horizon for the second-half of the year is not without a few dark clouds such as relentlessly high fuel costs, labor uncertainty and other economic challenges, the trend, thus far, points to a record-breaking year for total passenger traffic in 2005."

In addition to several new destinations launched by hub carrier Northwest Airlines, and other existing airlines, four new air carriers have announced scheduled air service at DTW since last August: Independence Air in August 2004, Frontier in May 2005, Air France in June 2005 and AirTran this coming November.

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