Quote Originally Posted by Carcross View Post
This is a key post. Many in this state do not fully understand the economic benefit of having a large airline hub at DTW, and what it means for businesses. Cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis that have lost their airline hub in the last 10 years, and are also now losing business as their airports no longer offer the key direct flights that businesses are looking for.

DTW is a great airport, and a strategic asset to this state and region. Leave city airport's use for cargo and executive flights, much like the airports in Troy and Waterford. Commercial aviation should not be something tax dollars are spent subsidizing at city airport.

Instead of wasting money on trying to get commercial flights back to city airport, instead invest that money in ground transportation between Detroit and DTW. Develop good and frequent public transportation between downtown and DTW. Simply put, it doesn't look good when someone has to spend $60 on a cab ride from DTW to downtown because there is no train available. This is where the money truly needs to be spent, and not on some multimillion dollar runway extension that no commercial airline will ever use.
Good post. The Detroit region has a real gem in DTW and it's awesome for the local business community. On the "other" side of the Delta/Northwest merger, CVG and the Cincinnati business community have struggled for years with Delta continually scaling-back flights. I get it, there's no need for an airline to have a hub when they have two of them, both in much-larger cities, within 400 miles. When Chiquita relocated from Cincinnati a few years back, they made a point of listing the airport and the lack of international flights as a reason for their move to Charlotte.

DET is fine --- good for general aviation, and there's likely a market for a few [[keyword: few) weekday charter regional jets to Chicago and/or NYC. That's it though. A "traditional" commercial carrier like Southwest or Allegiant, there is simply no role for them at DET. Absolutely focus on public transit to DTW.