Detroit travelers saved an
estimated $109 million last year thanks to a significant drop in average
domestic airfares to and from Detroit Metro Airport since 2005 (when
adjusted for inflation).
While travelers to and from 266 of the 300 busiest U.S. airports saw fares
increase since 2005, Detroit was one of only 34 airports where travelers got
a better bang for their buck.
According to data published by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the
average cost-per-mile to fly to and from Detroit was lower than 78.7 percent
of the nation’s top 300 airports in 2007. Detroit Metro Airport’s decline in
nominal airfare per mile of 1.5 percent was the largest average price drop
in the state. The average airline ticket to or from Detroit cost about 15.8
cents per mile in 2007, down from 16 cents per mile in 2005.
Dollar for dollar, average fares to and from DTW declined 1.5 percent since
2005, making Detroit one of only two airports in Michigan - and one of only
three major U.S. mainland hubs - to offer travelers lower average fares.
When you factor inflation into the equation, the average cost per mile
savings soars to 8.5 percent.
Detroit’s attractive airfares can be attributed to several factors.
Primarily, we have worked very hard to generate more non-airline revenue
over the past several years. By supporting operations costs with non-airline
revenue, DTW keeps operating costs low for airlines, providing a better
bargain for airlines considering where to add new service.
We also have encouraged low-fare carriers, such as Southwest, Frontier,
AirTran and Spirit to come to Detroit and to expand here, which provides
more competition in our marketplace.
In addition, these results would also seem to indicate that the network
airlines, such as our hub carrier, Northwest Airlines, are responding to
Detroit Metro’s low cost structure with reasonable airfares.
Only five other airports in the Great Lakes region classified as among the
country’s 300 busiest saw average fares decrease: Pittsburgh, Eau Claire,
Akron/Canton, South Bend and Flint. Perhaps that’s why travelers from well
beyond the boundaries of Metro Detroit claim DTW as their home airport.
What’s more, it is not often that a major international hub airport, where
air service tends to be dominated by one major carrier, can claim to be a
low-fare leader.
In fact, among the nation’s busiest hub airports, only Charlotte and Denver
also experienced a drop in average nominal airfares, at 6.7 percent and 3.75
percent, respectively. We take great pride in providing Metro Detroit
travelers with extensive flight options to more than 160 non-stop
destinations without asking customers to empty their wallets.
In 2008, we plan to continue expanding our region’s reach by welcoming new
service to new destinations on new and existing airlines from Detroit Metro.
Excitement is mounting in Detroit for the arrival of Northwest Airlines’
first Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the opportunity for new international routes
this incredible new aircraft will provide.
Northwest is the U.S. launch customer for this next generation, modern,
efficient and customer-friendly aircraft, and as Northwest’s largest hub
worldwide, Detroit Metro is honored to be the first major U.S. airport to
see regular 787 service.
Of course, all the new possibilities of this coming year will culminate in
2009 with the introduction of the highly-anticipated new non-stop flights
between Detroit and Shanghai and Beijing, China. We’ll also welcome a new
airline, China Southern, which plans to bring its own 787s to DTW on the
route to Beijing.
Part of that effort includes ongoing partnerships with the Metro Detroit
Convention and Visitors Bureau, Detroit Renaissance, Wayne County and other
community organizations to spread the word around the globe about all Metro
Detroit has to offer.
With the support of our partners and the communities we serve, the Wayne
County Airport Authority could not be more excited about the new
opportunities on the horizon. As we go forward, rest assured that our focus
on providing a cost-effective operation will not waiver in our pursuit of
even more flights and lower fares.
NOTE: Airfare rankings were computed by the Wayne County Airport Authority
Air Service Development department using origin and destination data
provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Form DB1B.
Rankings are based upon average cost-per-mile for all domestic tickets sold
for travel to or from the nation’s 300 busiest airports aboard airlines
required to report sales data to the DOT. The savings calculation is based
on a comparison between annualized 1Q data for 2005 and 2007 (the only 2007
data yet available) adjusted for inflation.
Lester Robinson is the chief executive officer of the Wayne County Airport
Authority.
