The U.S. has been shoveling money into airports. Even before the Biden administration’s infrastructure law, the CARES Act funneled money to airport infrastructure with bizarre consequences. For instance the bulk of the $300 million from that package that went to Dallas – Fort Worth airport in 2020 passed through to American Airlines, on top of the $10 billion in direct taxpayer cash and subsidized loans that carrier received.
Tiny airports got more money than they can ever spend from the package.
- Merced, California, which lacked commercial service entirely, got $17 million. Garden City, Kansas got $18 million. The East Wenatchee, Washington airport (airport code “EAT”) got $18 million as well.
- Knox County Regional Airport (“RKD”) in Owls Head, Maine received $17,925,850 which is the cost of operating that airport for 25 years.
- Devils Lake, North Dakota received 50 times what they spend in a year. Merrill Field in Alaska got nine years of expenses. Johnstown, Pennsylavia’s airport which averaged about a dozen passengers a day before the pandemic got $5 million.
There’s this idea of ‘infrastructure’ and it’s romantic and there are high-profile projects. Everyone knows how bad a structure New York LaGuardia was before it got a refresh (though $10 billion later we didn’t get more capacity from the prettier spaces). But infrastructure in the U.S. takes too long and costs too much.
And when we allocate ‘money for infrastructure’ we do stupid things with it, like giving $100 million to a zombie airport near Detroit that hasn’t had commercial service in 20 years. The plan is to create “a state-of-the-art airport” according to Detroit officials. Of course Detroit already has a state-of-the-art airport.
The new plan will allow the city to make transformational investment in the airport, including new hangars, a new control tower, improved taxiways and safety zone, new airport-related development opportunities, as well as the return of the Benjamin Davis Aerospace Academy to the airport grounds.
…the airport is expected to generate additional take-offs and landings, without the need for a runway expansion. Because of the airport’s location next to Gethsemane Cemetery, the city of Detroit is unable to extend the primary runway safety zone to accommodate larger aircraft.
Detroit City Airport (now “Coleman A. Young International Airport”) is a general aviation facility that was the area’s primary airport until just after World War II. It’s six miles from downtown, and saw service from Southwest until 1993. Pro Air was based there but grounded by the FAA in September 2000 for poor maintenance practices.
I’d love to see competition against Delta from a close-in airport, but spending $100 million to get there seems questionable. And spending $100 million in taxpayer money to support more private jets, which is how the airport is used today, is more troublesome still.
Follow the money. Political pressure, kickbacks from the contractors to politicians as “campaign contributions”, and probably even deeper corruption of one sort or another. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the public figures had their fingers in the contracts, either directly or through family members. (And before anyone blames all this on Democrats, this is the way Congress has long acted, just more blatantly since Citizens United. Party labels mean nothing when there’s cash to spread around.)
Equity. The airport is owned by the city hall in a black majority city that provided the votes to push Biden over the top in 2020. Plain and simple. We know Biden, Mayor Pete and Kamala only care about equity, including when it comes to rebuilding hurricane-destroyed homes in Fla.
An upgraded airport popping up in Detroit?… “Pack your bags honey, we’re heading for Motown!”
FNT Delta Diamond, “The airport is owned by the city hall in a black majority city that provided the votes to push Biden over the top in 2020. Plain and simple.” What’s your problem? Read the article. This project began three years ago under the Trump administration. Even so, you wouldn’t condemn federal projects in majority white areas that helped elect Trump. B/t/w CARES Act (2020) is a Trump law.
PS FNT Delta Diamond, As a general aviation airport, Young International (DET) overwhelmingly serves those who utilize private and corporate jets and piston-powered private aircraft. Those folks are overwhelmingly White as are the contractors who will benefit from new construction.
At least you seem to realize who who the election in 2020. It is hard to believe that people might get credit for acknowledging something as basic as that.
Imagine what could be done with all this wasted money if it was just spent improving our roads & bridges? Instead of wasting it on (air)fields of dreams & political paybacks?
DTW is a good airport. I drive thru Devils Lake every now & then & there is no reason to spend more than one year’s budget there. It’s all private aviation & crop-dusters. Flights go out of Minot (Why Not) and Grand Forks. Delta owns both of them. But fares drop on Delta on Days Allegiant has flights. I dunno why…
I used to fly into Detroit City Airport when Wright Air flew Convair 440s from Burke Lakefront in Cleveland to City. Both airports were close enough to downtown to do business and get back in one day.
The length of Runway 15/33 at DET is slightly more than 5000 ft. This is enough to land a 737. Yes, it is true that there are cemeteries on both ends (Gethsemane and Mt. Olivet), so it is likely not politically feasible to extend the runway, but I’ve seen jets that have landed at DET. Certainly, it is enough to land RJs.
There is a second runway at DET – 7/25. 7/25 is currently 3700 ft. It could be extended across the railroad tracks at the west end (the tracks could be put under the runway, like the airport access road that runs under the runways at DTW) and through the old industrial areas to Van Dyke Avenue. This could allow significant expansion. I will bet that won’t happen.
The situation at Detroit’s airports has been messy since I lived in Southeast Michigan in the 80s. Is it the same as my understanding of why there is no mass transit to DTW – various deals between the late Ed McNamara (then Wayne County Executive – the South Terminal at DTW is named after him) and several vendors? Rumors and newspaper articles were rife when the terminal was built. The rumors included the firm Metro Cars. Metro Cars has a taxi exclusive at Metro Airport.
Detroit could extend rail service from Downtown to DTW along existing Grand Trunk/CN rail right of way but won’t do it. The Detroit People Mover loops around Downtown and goes nowhere else. It was supposed to be a demonstration project for feasibility of mass transit to DTW. That didn’t happen.
Detroit could expand People Mover service to DET. It would make sense, especially if Detroit wants to make DET usable. But that won’t happen, either.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what causes inflation.
Bennie G
These $$$ are a “drop in the bucket” when talking about spending/inflation within the largest economy on the planet.
Wasteful/Political paybacks?More than likely.
Democrats on the rampage
Retired Lawyer, You could land A320s and 737 at DET but you couldn’t takeoff in them fully loaded. As is, DET could handle A220s, A318s and Embraer 190s. These aircraft operate from airports with a similarly sized runway like London City.
The article Gary references states that the airport expects to finish acquiring land to the east of the airport by 2023 yearend. That may allow extension of Runway 7-23, the shorter of the two runways. I’m not in favor of a second commercial airport for Detroit for a variety of reasons.
Gary’s post presents a vary biased view of this project. It is his blog; ergo he gets to present his biases. For a more objective analysis, these are some of the things access to federal grants will allow.
1. New Aircraft Hangars: The city plans to build several new hangars at the airport that will include sufficient space for executive business aircraft, twin-engine craft, and smaller hangars for single engine planes. The airport rents these to users for a fee.
2. Return of Davis Aerospace Academy: This school, which relocated from Detroit City Airport several years ago, will return inside a renovated main airport terminal. This will bring the technical school back to an appropriate location that will provide direct access to aviation operations and activity.
3. New Air Traffic Control Tower: This new tower will be fully funded by the FAA as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
4. Improved safety zone: The airport also will make safety improvements to the airfield, including the installation of a new Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) at both ends of the main runway. This FAA-approved solution has been designed to compensate for the fact that the runway does not have the available real estate for standard 1,000-foot safety areas without impact the neighboring cemeteries.
5. Re-establishing onsite Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Services: In 2012, just prior to the city’s bankruptcy, Engine 20 at the airport was decommissioned and firefighting responsibilities for the airport shifted to a nearby fire house.
I think these projects are worthwhile. Your impression likely depends on your view of the value of general aviation. But remember that if private and corporate jets and private civilian aircraft didn’t operate from airports like DET they would have to use airports like DTW that are already overcrowded.
At any rate, use of taxpayer money for this is far better than using taxpayer money for mega stadiums that enhance the value of the assets of billionaires. IMO
The entire purpose of this boondoogle is so that Delta can open another SkyClub in Detroit in order to eliminate the lines at Metro airport.
Allan, you fell for Gary’s trap. By mentioning Biden he knew he get comments like yours.
What he didn’t tell you is the plans for making these federal funds available began under Trump, and what you don’t realize is the biggest beneficiaries of the funding are primarily White Republicans who use private and corporate jets and fly other privately owned civilian aircraft or own construction companies.
@john you imply that Gary’s bias led him to exclude important info, then you proceed to cut/paste the exact article he included a link to in his post as “zombie airport near Detroit”. Jeesh.
cr, Exactly. I expressly included the info that at best Gary incorporated by reference but excluded in his analysis. DET is no Zombie Airport and the funding is for worthy projects. That’s my point.
@ john
who who the election!
btw private aviation is one of the least green human activities around.
Jack, the percentage of airline pilots trained in the military is about 30% and falling. This blog already claims there is a severe pilot shortage. Airports like DET and civilian flying from single-engine planes to corporate and private jets is where airline pilots come from. Eliminate or significantly reduce general aviation and the supply of new airline pilots will be nearly totally shut off. It beats me why VFTW seems to want to dump on general aviation while promoting commercial aviation which I assume is even more environmentally damaging. Mea culpa regarding my typos and proof-reading but I’m not the one making the big bucks here.