In simpler times

Much has changed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport since a three-story, combination terminal and hangar first began serving passengers in 1930. From its modest beginnings, Metro has grown to become the world's sixth busiest airport, with more than 1,500 daily takeoffs and landings by 20 carriers, serving more than 93,000 passengers a day.

In conjunction with the 70th anniversary of Metro, the airport's operator, Wayne County, has put together an extensive display of photos and other artifacts to commemorate its growth.

Photos appearing on this page and elsewhere throughout this edition are all part of that display, which is located in the L.C. Smith Terminal. Along with photos, the 40-foot-long,
8-foot-high, two-sided display features maps, aerials and descriptions of the airport's progress through the decades.

It will be open to the public through the end of the year.

		The construction scene above shows the very first building project at Detroit Metropolitan Airport - Building 278, which was constructed between 1927 and 1930. At left, a Pan Am DC-6 is greeted upon arrival at Metro circa 1960.

Onlookers on hand for the 1930 airport dedication ceremony view the brand new airfield at left. An American Airlines DC-6 is marshaled along the tarmac in the late 1950s in the photo at right.

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