Monday, Apr 27, 2026

The discussion of Detroit's airports mostly centers on the well-known Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. However, there exists another airport nearby, which, despite being a bit obscure, holds an equally interesting history – Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET).
Situated only six miles away from downtown Detroit, this airport has been significant for the development of aviation in the city. Even though it does not serve commercial flights, this airport remains an essential aviation facility in Detroit for general aviation aircraft, air taxis, and aviation instruction programs.
This airport was formerly called Detroit City Airport; however, the 2003 name change was made after the name of the city's longest-serving former mayor, Coleman A. Young. The airport is owned by the City of Detroit and is classified by the FAA as a general aviation airport under the NPIAS
Spanning 264 acres and located at 626 feet above sea level, the airport presently has only one runway in use (15/33), while another runway (7/25) is no longer operational. Although it is relatively small compared to other large international airports, the airport manages to accommodate a high number of aircraft movements, which averages around 80–100 movements per day.
In the past, DET played a far more significant role in Detroit’s aviation landscape. Before the late 1940s, it was Detroit’s main airport, catering to airline services before being transferred to bigger airports like Willow Run and DTW.
At the turn of the century, the airport had many operators; several commuter and regional airlines operated from the airport in the past, but commercial services declined due to operational limitations. The issue of limited runways and other operational difficulties ultimately resulted in the discontinuation of passenger services at the airport.
There were some controversies related to this airport as well. For instance, there were plans for a runway expansion in the late 1980s, but it faced opposition from the cemetery owners around the vicinity of the airport.
In today’s time, Coleman A. Young International Airport is an important general aviation airport serving the city of Detroit, and its main users include private pilots and charter companies, along with other aviation-based organizations.
There are several modern facilities present at the airport, including a passenger terminal that covers around 53,000 square feet, featuring essential general aviation facilities, including pilot lounges, administrative offices, and limited passenger amenities.. Moreover, there is a presence of U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices, enabling the airport to facilitate private international flights.
The flight activities carried out at the airport mainly comprise general aviation flights, which constitute around 96 percent of the total flight operations.
Recently, there has been a new interest in redeveloping the airport. After the revival of Detroit from the bankruptcy of Detroit in 2013, officials in Detroit have considered methods to update and extend the airport.
The most significant progress was achieved in 2022 when the airport was able to obtain its first Airport Layout Plan in three decades. This helped them secure more than $100 million worth of federal funding over the coming ten years. The plans involved:
Upgrading the hangars and taxiways
Reintroducing an air traffic control tower, which was previously decommissioned in 2012
Enhancing security infrastructure, such as EMAS (Engineered Material Arrestor System)
Increasing the airport land area through the purchase of lands
Additionally, there is a possibility of using the land for other purposes, including industries and education in aviation. These developments will make the airport a modern aviation and business center in Detroit.
Although Coleman A. Young International Airport (DET) has many strengths, but some issues need to be addressed. The lack of commercial flights reduces the visibility of the airport for travelers. Moreover, the infrastructure development process is underway at the moment. However, the airport's advantageous geographical location and proximity to the city center present good chances for future success.
The recent progress, including long-term contracts between the airport and aviation services companies, as well as construction projects, suggests that the airport is heading towards success.
Coleman A. Young International Airport is not a place where millions of passengers arrive on a daily basis, like the biggest international airports in the world. Nonetheless, the airport is a unique place that has a long history, performs a valuable function in providing general aviation facilities, and has an interesting future ahead of it.
Thus, if one is interested in Detroit aviation infrastructure, the airport should certainly get one's attention.

Monday, Jan 06, 2025

Thursday, Jan 02, 2025

Monday, Dec 23, 2024

Monday, Dec 30, 2024

Thursday, Dec 26, 2024

Thursday, Dec 26, 2024

Monday, Dec 23, 2024

Tuesday, Jun 17, 2025
.png)
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025
.png)
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025
.png)
Friday, Jul 04, 2025
.png)
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Monday, Jul 07, 2025

Tuesday, Jul 08, 2025

Tuesday, Jul 08, 2025

Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Friday, Jul 11, 2025

Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025

Wednesday, Jul 16, 2025

Thursday, Jul 17, 2025

Friday, Jul 18, 2025

Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

Thursday, Aug 07, 2025

Monday, Aug 11, 2025

Wednesday, Aug 13, 2025

Thursday, Aug 14, 2025

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025

Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025

Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025

Thursday, Oct 09, 2025

Thursday, Oct 09, 2025

Friday, Oct 10, 2025

Monday, Oct 13, 2025

Monday, Oct 13, 2025

Thursday, Oct 16, 2025

Friday, Oct 17, 2025

Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Monday, Dec 08, 2025

Tuesday, Dec 09, 2025

Wednesday, Jan 07, 2026

Friday, Feb 06, 2026

Monday, Mar 23, 2026

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2026

Tuesday, Mar 24, 2026

Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026

Thursday, Mar 26, 2026

Thursday, Mar 26, 2026

Monday, Mar 30, 2026

Monday, Mar 30, 2026

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2026

Tuesday, Mar 31, 2026

Thursday, Apr 02, 2026

Thursday, Apr 02, 2026

Friday, Apr 03, 2026

Friday, Apr 03, 2026

Monday, Apr 06, 2026

Monday, Apr 06, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 07, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 07, 2026

Wednesday, Apr 08, 2026

Wednesday, Apr 08, 2026

Thursday, Apr 09, 2026

Thursday, Apr 09, 2026

Monday, Apr 13, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 14, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 21, 2026

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026

Thursday, Apr 23, 2026

Thursday, Apr 23, 2026

Monday, Apr 27, 2026

Monday, Apr 27, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026

Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026

Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026

Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026

Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Friday, May 08, 2026

Friday, May 08, 2026

Subscribe to unlock our secret deals