BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Joint Application of 

Virgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd. 

Delta Air Lines, Inc. 

Société Air France 

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. 

Alitalia Compagnia Aerea Italiana S.p.A 

Under 49 U.S.C. §§ 41308 and 41309 

for Approval of and Antitrust Immunity 

for Alliance Agreements 

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Docket DOT-OST-2013-0068 

ANSWER OF WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY 

IN SUPPORT OF DELTA AND VIRGIN ATLANTIC 

Communications with respect to this document should be addressed to: 

 

Joe Cambron 

Director, Air Service Development 

Thomas Naughton 

Chief Executive Officer 

Emily Neuberger 

Senior Vice President 

WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY 

L.C. Smith Terminal 

Detroit, Michigan 48242 

(734) 942-3550 

June 4, 2013 

 
BEFORE THE 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Joint Application of 

Virgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd. 

Delta Air Lines, Inc. 

Société Air France 

Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. 

Alitalia Compagnia Aerea Italiana S.p.A 

Under 49 U.S.C. §§ 41308 and 41309 

for Approval of and Antitrust Immunity 

for Alliance Agreements 

)

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

)

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

Docket DOT-OST-2013-0068 

ANSWER OF WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY 

IN SUPPORT OF DELTA AND VIRGIN ATLANTIC 

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) fully supports Delta Air Lines' request for antitrust 

immunity (ATI) with Virgin Atlantic Airways. Detroit is a major hub for Delta. Delta and 

its partners currently offer eight daily nonstop transatlantic flights to five European 

destinations, including London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Through the joint venture with 

Virgin Atlantic, Delta will gain an important new marketing partner in the U.K., and, for its 

part, Virgin will gain access to Delta’s North American network, including the large array 

of U.S., Canadian, and Mexico destinations served by Delta from Detroit. The joint 

venture will strengthen DTW as a gateway to London, and, in particular, will enhance 

intergateway competition with Chicago, where AA/BA operate a combined six daily LHR 

flights. 

Gaining additional access to Europe is a high priority for the Wayne County Airport 

Authority (WCAA) as it seeks to expand international services from DTW. According to 

Sabre MIDT data for 2012, the U.K. is the second largest European market for Detroit. 
Answer of WCAA 

Page 2 

We believe that DTW can readily support a second daily LHR flight, and that the joint 

venture with Virgin Atlantic makes it more likely that Delta will be able to introduce such 

service in the future. Delta has indicated in its ATI application that “a second daily flight 

from Delta’s Detroit hub to Heathrow would be a high priority.” (ATI Application at 29). 

The increased scope and scale of the Delta/Virgin Atlantic joint venture, together with a 

larger combined slot portfolio, make it more likely that the joint venture will increase LHR 

service at DTW, where neither carrier is able to do so individually today. 

Auto Industry Ties

Michigan firms need access to global markets, and London is one of the top business 

destinations in Europe. The American auto industry is centered in Detroit with 

headquarters for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler/FIAT. Research and engineering 

locations for many other worldwide auto brands dot the surrounding area, including: 

Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Ilmor Engineering, and others. Ilmor is a great example of the 

business ties between Detroit and the U.K. The company, acquired by American auto 

magnate Roger Penske in 2005, is based near London, but operates a large facility near 

Detroit. The company, among other things, supplies engines for Indycar racing under a 

General Motors badge and won 11 of 15 races in the series last year en route to the 

manufacturer’s championship for the iconic American brand - Chevrolet. In fact, the U.K. 

is the site of many automotive firms and the center of the European auto racing industry. 

U.S. manufacturers and their parts suppliers participate heavily in that development 

process and many advances in technology have come from U.S. involvement in auto 

racing research and development. For example, most modern transmissions can trace 

their development back to auto racing including: clutchless transmissions, continuous 
Answer of WCAA 

Page 3 

variable transmissions, and direct-shift transmissions. The tread pattern and material 

mix in tires was also largely developed from auto racing engineering as well as 

numerous other advancements. Easily connecting U.S. engineers to this hotbed of auto 

innovation allows U.S. companies to maintain a level of involvement in the process as a 

stakeholder, preventing our companies and manufacturers from becoming locked out of 

important advancements through the patent process. 

Detroit Metro Airport

In 2010 DTW was ranked #1 for customer satisfaction among airports of its size by a 

prestigious quality rating firm and last year served over 32 million travelers. With more 

than 1,100 flights to 150 destinations it is important for Detroit to continually expand its 

array of travel options both for local travelers and for those passengers connecting 

through Detroit. The WCAA has invested heavily in the airport with six runways, two 

new terminals, and an onsite AAA Four-Diamond Westin hotel. These investments 

make DTW a superior hub and worthy of the opportunity to see expanded services. 

Conclusion 

We strongly believe that approving this request for ATI between Delta and Virgin Atlantic 

will result in improved service at Detroit. The expanded North American-UK codeshare 

network offered by Delta and Virgin Atlantic from Detroit will provide immediate service 

and competitive benefit, and, as the joint venture is implemented, increased frequency 

on the DTW-LHR is a priority for the carriers. Each new long-haul flight from Detroit 

generates well over $100 million in annual economic value to Detroit and the State of 

Michigan according to our analysis. Those jobs and business ties help maintain Detroit’s 

position among the world’s automotive centers. Thus, we respectfully ask you approve 

this request.
Answer of WCAA 

Page 4 

 Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________ 

Joe Cambron 

Director, Air Service Development, 

WAYNE COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY 
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 

 A copy of the foregoing Answer has been served this 4th day of June, 2013, upon 

the following persons via email: 

francis.heil@aa.com 

robert.wirick@aa.com 

sascha.vanderbellen@delta.com 

howard.kass@usairways.com 

benjamin.slocum@usairways.com 

thomas.bolling@united.com 

dan.weiss@united.com 

todd.homan@dot.gov 

peter.irvine@dot.gov 

reese.davidson@dot.gov 

bob.goldner@dot.gov 

paul.gretch@dot.gov 

esta.rosenberg@dot.gov 

Jill.Ptacek@usdoj.gov

urskr@state.gov 

Ishiwata.K@portseattle.org 

joe.cambron@wcaa.us 

brubinst@panynj.gov 

louis.miller@atlanta-airport.com 

steve.luben@atlanta-airport.com 

info@airlineinfo.com