Lee Redding, associate professor of business economics at UM-Dearborn, along with students and staff from iLabs, the university’s centre for innovation research, surveyed more than 1,600 passengers travelling through the airport in July and August 2013.
“The airport’s economic impact extends far beyond Detroit,” Redding said. “Detroit Metro Airport connects us to the world. More than 600,000 people rely on the airport to purchase and sell Michigan products, which ultimately benefits the state’s economy.”
DTW annually serves approximately 32 million passengers, including 3.1 million business and pleasure travellers who stay in Michigan, thus benefiting the state’s economy. Visitors to metropolitan Detroit annually spend about $1.7 billion after arriving through DTW, which has a total economic impact on the area of $3.2 billion, according to the study. Around 18,000 people directly work at the airport itself.
“This study illustrates that the air transportation infrastructure we build and maintain locally has a measureable and beneficial impact throughout Southeastern Michigan and beyond,” said Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Thomas Naughton. “The continued success of our vital airports translates to economic growth and business development that reaches far beyond our terminal walls and runways.”
DTW brought about 295,000 business travellers to Michigan who said their trip would likely result in an order to purchase Michigan goods and services.