Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport (KDTW), Michigan
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport (KDTW) sits roughly 14 nautical miles from downtown Detroit and serves as a major towered hub with six paved concrete runways, the longest stretching 12,003 feet. The field supports both airline and business aviation traffic under a full-time attendance schedule, with Jet A and 100LL fuel available and CBP inspection services along with a USDA compliance agreement provided on site for international arrivals.
Runways
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport has six paved runways. The longest, 04R/22L, is 12,003 ft long and 200 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first. Helipads and surfaces under 500 ft are excluded.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport has Jet A and 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport recorded 6,919 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in June, August, September and October.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month June, 674 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport averages 5.3 days above 90°F in July, 27.2 freeze days in January and 4.3 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83.7°F, and January the coldest, at 32.3°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
The runway visual screen is 20 feet AGL, located 1,150 feet south of the approach end of runway 04R.
Prior permission is required for Boeing 747-8 operations due to constraints on the runways, taxiways, and ramps. Contact airfield operations.
Authorization exists to conduct simultaneous independent instrument approaches to parallel runways 04L/22R and 03R/21L without final monitors, as the runway centerlines are separated by 8,800 feet.
Runway identifier 04X/22X supports the second ILS installations (I-BZB and I-ALA) at runway 04L/22R.
The PAPI is unusable beyond 8 degrees left or right of the runway centerline.
Taxiing on runway 09L/27R is limited to aircraft exiting from runway 04R/22L, 03L/21R, and 03R/21L, except that no taxiing is permitted between runway 03L/21R and Taxiway W. Two-way taxiing is permitted between Taxiway Y and Taxiway M when red stop bar lights are lit at runway 04R/22L and 03L/21R, or when barricades are used instead at the respective intersections. Taxiing between sunset and sunrise, or in conditions with visibility less than 1 statute mile, requires the green centerline light to be operating.
Runway status lights are in operation.
Be alert for birds and waterfowl on and in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 863/R/A/W/T
PCR VALUE: 762/R/A/W/T
A brightly lighted parking lot is located 2.6 NM southwest of the airport.
The west 1,713 feet is closed indefinitely.
Aircraft on Taxiway F and Taxiway V must not block fire station exits.
Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 171 feet are restricted from using Taxiway P between Taxiway J and Taxiway P3.
Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 171 feet are restricted from using Taxiway H between Taxiway B and Taxiway F.
Turning is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of 135 feet or less from Taxiway G north to Taxiway V east.
Diverting air carrier aircraft without a presence at KDTW should contact Evans Ramp Tower prior to diverting, to the extent practical, and provide company, flight operator, contact information, aircraft type, persons on board, international or domestic status, and any ground handler agreements in place.
Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 171 feet cannot pass each other on Taxiways Y and K between Taxiways U and K6 due to insufficient wingtip clearance.
The turning restriction from Taxiway B to Taxiway K is restricted to aircraft with a wingspan of 171 feet or less.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport has five airfields within 19 NM. The closest is Willow Run (KYIP), 8.09 NM west.
Part of the Detroit and Pontiac area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KDTW
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KDTW.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the runway configuration at KDTW?
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport operates six paved concrete runways, all suited to heavy commercial and business aircraft. The longest is 04R/22L at 12,003 feet, followed by parallel runways 03R/21L and 04L/22R at 10,001 and 10,000 feet respectively. Two additional runways, 09L/27R and 03L/21R, exceed 8,500 feet, with 09R/27L at 8,500 feet as well. KDTW also lists a designation 04X/22X, which supports the second ILS installations serving runway 04L/22R. This runway length and count profile supports simultaneous large-aircraft operations across multiple parallel pairs.
Does KDTW have customs and border clearance on site?
Yes, KDTW provides CBP inspection services on site along with a USDA compliance agreement. This means arriving international flights can clear customs directly at Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport without diverting to a nearby facility. The USDA agreement covers agricultural compliance requirements tied to certain cargo or aircraft movements. Dispatchers planning international arrivals into KDTW should still confirm current inspection hours and any advance notice requirements directly with airport operations, since the onsite designation covers availability of the service rather than guaranteed immediate processing.
Are there wingspan restrictions on taxiways at KDTW?
Yes, several taxiways at Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport carry wingspan limits above 171 feet. Aircraft exceeding that span are restricted from using Taxiway P between Taxiways J and P3, and from Taxiway H between Taxiways B and F. On Taxiways Y and K, aircraft with wingspans greater than 171 feet cannot pass each other between Taxiways U and K6 due to insufficient wingtip clearance. A turning restriction also limits Taxiway B to K crossings to aircraft with 171 feet of wingspan or less. Operators of large widebody aircraft should route accordingly at KDTW.
Is there a special procedure for Boeing 747-8 operations at KDTW?
Yes, Boeing 747-8 operators require prior permission before operating into Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport. This requirement exists because of physical constraints on the runways, taxiways, and ramps at KDTW that affect how the aircraft can maneuver on the ground. Operators must contact airfield operations in advance of the flight to coordinate the arrangement. This PPR requirement is specific to the 747-8 type and reflects ground infrastructure limits rather than a runway length restriction, since KDTW's longest runway measures 12,003 feet.
What is the business aviation traffic level at KDTW?
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport recorded 6,919 business aviation operations against a total of 320,860 annual operations in 2025, according to FAA TFMSC data. Monthly business aviation counts ranged from a low of 409 in February to a high of 674 in June, with activity generally higher in the late spring through fall months. December and January still showed comparatively strong counts near 600 and 574 operations. KDTW carries an ops tier of 1, reflecting its status as one of the more heavily trafficked and documented terrains in the network.