Their largest aircraft were Convair 440s. From 1966 until 1985 when it went out of business, the Cleveland-based regional airline, Wright Airlines flew between the downtown Lakefront Airport in Cleveland and DET. This airport was just five miles northeast of the Detroit downtown area, or about 25 miles away from the DTW airport. However, there was another airline serving Detroit out of a third airport, Detroit City (DET). By 1967, all YIP service had moved to DTW. After the LC Smith building opened in 1957, about half of the airlines moved their operation from YIP to DTW, and for about ten years, half of Detroit’s airlines flew from YIP and the other half from DTW. Also like JFK, DTW’s first service was international with the European flights of BOAC and Pan American. Kind of like JFK at New York, DTW Airport was a small facility that was gradually expanded, and while it was closer to the city than YIP, it was still a suburban location. YIP had been built as a large bomber factory during World War II. First, all carriers served the new Willow Run Airport (YIP) in Yspilanti until the mid-1950s. Ever since the end of World War II, Detroit’s air service had been centered on airports in suburban areas west of the city. We began service to the area with 12 nonstop flights a day to Detroit Metro (DTW) on June 4, 1987. Once upon a time, Southwest Airlines flew to two airports in the Motor City.
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