Flight to Tokyo

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Delta Air Lines' gateway to Asia, could soon enjoy the benefits of a coveted new flight to a key destination in Japan. Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport.But it can happen only if elected and community leaders, as well as Michigan travelers, help Delta Airlines land the rights to the new nonstop flight from Detroit Metro.

Haneda Airport has been restricted to Japan only flights since 1978. U.S. airlines currently operate at Narita Airport, which is located outside of the city. The trip from that airport into downtown Tokyo can take an hour or longer.A proposed new Open Skies agreement between the U.S. and Japan will allow trans Pacific flights into Haneda Airport, with its convenient location, for the first time in three decades. So, if your destination is downtown Tokyo, a new nonstop flight from Detroit would bring you there without a long trip into the city.

In an era when airlines are pulling down flights and reducing international service, any new flight to Asia would be great news for the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan. But Delta's proposed Haneda service would carry additional benefits, including Bolstering Michigan's trade and business ties to Japan. There are more than 500 Japanese companies located in Michigan, and the state exports more than $1.5 billion annually to Japan, according to Dunn & Bradstreet.

Enhancing Detroit's status as Delta's gateway to Asia. In addition to its Haneda proposal, Delta is also adding new service to Hong Kong, Seoul-Incheon and Shanghai this summer.Bringing more passengers, and revenue, into Detroit Metro by providing a convenient connecting point to Haneda for customers in more than 100 U.S. cities.Creating direct and immediate economic benefits and jobs.The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that up to $150 million in annual recurring economic benefits are generated for communities with new trans Pacific routes.