Detroit Metro Airport Offers Four Unique Terminals for Filmmakers

Two Terminals Are Open While Two Terminals Are Closed

ROMULUS, Mich. -- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) features four terminals that are available for filmmakers. Two of the terminals are completely new -- McNamara and North while the other two terminals are no longer in operation -- Smith and Berry. The airport has been used as the location for ABC's "The Prince of the Motor City" and "Homeland Security". It will be used this week for the new George Clooney film "Up in the Air". The airport is attractive to filmmakers due to the state's 42 percent tax incentive for filmmakers who choose to do their work in Michigan.

"Up in the Air" is based on the novel by Walter Kirn and will be directed by Jason Reitman, who also directed "Juno". The film also stars Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick and Tamala Jones.

Two of the terminals are currently being used for travelers. The other two are empty, with the exception for the Wayne County Airport Authority offices in the Smith Terminal. All of the ticket counters, phone booths, luggage carousels, former restaurants and coffee shops remain in the building, although they are no longer in use. Most of the signs within the closed terminals remain in the same spot when the airport was open for business. The interior can be customized by set designers if they choose to do so.

"We now have two vacant terminals, the Smith Terminal and also the Berry Terminal, which is a shell of a fully working airport," said Scott Witner, Public Affairs Specialist at the Wayne County Airport Authority. "It doesn't have any of the conflicts of dealing with traveling public or security in such so the timing couldn't have been better for these incentives. We have two beautiful studios for them to use for a film set."