Detroit Metro Airport to Add Passenger Terminal

ROMULUS, MI-Detroit Metropolitan Airport plans to replace its decaying Smith and Berry terminals with a $425 million passenger terminal that could attract discount carriers and more international flights to the Middle East.

Wayne Doran, chairman of the Wayne County Airport Authority, says the replacement will allow the airport to adequately compete for new carriers. Airport executives note that they are already shopping the service expansion idea to two foreign carriers and two discount domestic airlines.

Airport officials recently began circulating renderings of the proposed North Terminal. The new 29- to 35-gate terminal, to be completed in 2006, will be built on the site of the former Davey Terminal, vacated last year when Northwest Airlines moved to its new Midfield Terminal.

No taxpayer money will be used to build the new terminal. Last month, the airport authority approved plans to sell bonds, financed by landing fees collected from airlines, to build the North Terminal, Doran says.