Delta Air Sees Detroit Differently

[Patrick]

Interesting read:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10506...cm_ven=GOOGLEN

DETROIT -- Some view Detroit as a symbol of a vast industrial failure. Delta Air Lines[[DAL Quote) sees it as a jewel.

"We're most excited about the future of Detroit, its role as the primary Asian gateway from the East Coast," says Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president of Delta, which acquired Northwest and its hub here in October. The deal makes Detroit the second-biggest hub, after Atlanta, for the world's largest airline.
"Despite all of its woes, Detroit is still a very large city, in the top metropolitan areas, and an optimal hub," Hauenstein said, in an interview. "Not only is the airport beautiful, but to fly from the East Coast, it is the most direct route to Asia." Detroit-Wayne County Airport is the country's 12th busiest, with about 36 million passengers annually.

[French777]

Excellent NEWS!!!

[otter]

Detroit must have made it if it migrated from the midwest to the east coast

O.

[rb336]

now to get them to pump money into aerotropolis

[hudkina]

There was a business meeting at the Airport Westin today with Delta and a group of Japanese/Japanese-speaking flight attendants. After the meeting they took a tour of the airport facilities.

Detroit already had quite a few direct flights to Asia [[including one of the few American cities with a direct flight to Shanghai and Beijing) under Northwest, and it looks as if Delta is going to only grow that connection.

[hudkina]

Detroit must have made it if it migrated from the midwest to the east coast

O.

What they mean is that if someone in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Providence, Hartford, and the countless other cities in that region of 50+ million needed to fly to Beijing, Shanghai, etc. they would likely fly from their local airport to Detroit, where they would then transfer to the Shanghai flight. It means Detroit will likely become a major hub for travelers between Asia and the East Coast.

[otter]

Hudkina,

I knew what Delta meant - I was just being silly.

O.

[PeachLaser]

I always find the connections between Detroit and Atlanta interesting.

[Gistok]

I was concerned about the direct flights to the the major Asian cities being moved elsewhere with the Delta/Northwest merger, but it looks like the combined airline will continue using Detroit as the "Gateway to the Orient". [[Or for those politically correct people... the "Gateway to Asia"!)

[1KielsonDrive]

Delta is a corporation! Remember that.They'll change their minds at any time they choose, abandon any market, and label their decision based upon the 'free market'. You know, like the free market bailout they got after 9/11.

[Patrick]

Throughout history, the most important cities have been transportation hubs, says John Kasarda, a professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. "In the 18th century, the great cities were ports," Kasarda says. "In the 19th, they were railroad cities. In the 20th, they were highway cities. In the 21st century, they will be cities with international airline connections."

A lot of up and coming cities [[media hyped cities) do not and will not have world-class airports. Guess this is one of the few bright spots in SE Michigan.

[Hypestyles]

do flights still go out of detroit city airport? what about expansion/renovation of that?

[otter]

Peachlaser,

What are the connections [[I'm guessing you mean similarities?) that you see? I spent 10 years in Detroit and 16 in Atlanta [[albeit only 6 of those as an adult) and seeing similarities between the two cities isn't something I do easily. I'm curious to know what you mean.

O.