Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport
A joint civil-military airport, MSP is home to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Joint Air Reserve Station, supporting both Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard flight operations. Units stationed there include the 934th Airlift Wing (934 AW). The airport is located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory. Although sections of the airport border the city limits of Minneapolis and Richfield the airport property is not part of any city or school district. MSP covers 2,930 acres (1,186 ha) of land. The airport generates an estimated $15.9 billion a year for the Twin Cities' economy and supports 87,000 workers.
MSP is a major hub for Delta Air Lines. It also serves as the home airport for Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines. Delta Air Lines and its regional affiliates account for about 70% of the airport's passenger traffic. The airport is operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which also handles the operation of six smaller airports in the region.
History
What is now known as Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport started in 1919 as Speedway Field when several local groups came together to take control of the former bankrupt Twin City Speedway race track. The first hangar was a wooden structure, constructed in 1920 for airmail services. The Minneapolis Park Board took possession of Speedway Field on June 1, 1928, and in 1929, passenger services began. In 1923, the airport was renamed "Wold–Chamberlain Field" for the World War I pilots Ernest Groves Wold and Cyrus Foss Chamberlain. In 1944 the site was renamed to "Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan Airport/Wold-Chamberlain Field", with "International" replacing "Metropolitan" four years later. Today it is rare to see the Wold–Chamberlain portion of the name used anywhere.
Expansions
Ground was broken for the current Terminal 1 building on October 26, 1958. The US $8.5 million, 600,000 square foot (56,000 m) terminal with 24 gates on two concourses was designed by Lyle George Landstrom. who worked for Cerny Associates. The terminal, then referred to as the New Terminal, was completed on January 13, 1962, and operations began on January 21. Pier D (formerly the Gold Concourse, now Concourse G) was completed in 1971 and Pier A (formerly the Green Concourse, now Concourse C) was completed in 1972 as part of an expansion of the terminal designed by Cerny Associates. This project also involved rebuilding the existing concourses into bi-level structures equipped with holding rooms and jet bridges. The Gold Concourse was expanded in 1986 and included the airport's first moving walkway. Concourses A and B opened on June 1, 2002, as part of a $250 million terminal expansion designed by Minneapolis-based Architectural Alliance. The final component of the project included a $17.5 million extension of Concourse C consisting of six additional gates, which opened on October 31, 2002.
Terminal 2 was first built in 1986 and then rebuilt in 2001. It is used mostly for charter and low cost airlines, including Minnesota-based Sun Country and Southwest, but is also used for Condor, Icelandair and JetBlue. The terminal has since been expanded and has a total of 14 gates. The colored labeling system for concourses in both terminals was replaced beginning in 2000 with the current system of lettered concourses.
Recent history
Due in part to aircraft noise in south Minneapolis, the Highland Park neighborhood in St. Paul, and surrounding suburbs, proposals were made in the 1990s to build a new airport on the fringes of the Twin Cities metro in Dakota County to handle larger jets and more international traffic. Minneapolis, St. Paul, and other neighboring cities were concerned that such a move would have a negative economic impact, so an arrangement was made where the Metropolitan Airports Commission would outfit many homes in the vicinity of the airport with sound insulation and air conditioning so that indoor noise could be reduced. A citizen group named ROAR (Residents Opposed to Airport Racket) was created in 1998 and helped push the MAC to make these concessions. Later, in 2004, the MAC voted to reduce funding for the soundproofing projects, saying in part that the economic climate had turned in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak, who had been a founding member of ROAR, promised that the city would challenge the changes. In 2005, the cities of Minneapolis, Eagan, and Richfield and the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority filed a lawsuit against the MAC, which was settled with a Consent Decree in 2007. The terms in the Consent Decree specified levels of sound insulation for homes within a fixed boundary of projected aircraft noise exposure around MSP. Upon the completion of the noise mitigation program in 2014, more than 15,000 single-family homes and 3,303 multi-family units around MSP were provided noise mitigation at cost of $95 million.
A 2022 J.D. Power survey concluded that with ranking the largest US and Canadian airports on a 1,000 point scale based on traveler satisfaction, the airport received a score of 800, ranking it the best airport in the US and Canada. MSP's high ranking was accredited to its recently updated facilities.
In 2023, Minneapolis-Saint Paul was recognized by analytics company Cirium as the world's most punctual international airport, having on-time departure and arrival rates of 84.44% and 84.62% respectively.
Facilities
Terminals
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport has two terminals with a total of 131 gates.
- Terminal 1 (Lindbergh) contains 117 gates across seven concourses, lettered A–G.
- Terminal 2 (Humphrey) contains 14 gates across one concourse, lettered H.
International arrivals are processed in Concourse G in Terminal 1, and in Terminal 2.
The two terminals are located about one mile (1.6 km) apart and accessed from separate exits of Minnesota State Highway 5. The arrangement can be confusing for some drivers, as the terminals are not connected within the airport facilities, meaning that taking the wrong exit can cause a delay of several minutes, and require the use of lightrail public transit or the roadway to travel between terminals. In 2010, signage along Highway 5 was updated to make it more clear which airlines serve each terminal.
Terminal 1 is named after aviator Charles Lindbergh, who was raised in Minnesota and Terminal 2 is named after vice president Hubert Humphrey, who also had represented Minnesota in Congress.
Ground transportation
The terminal buildings are directly located off of Minnesota State Highway 5. Several other major highways that border the airport are Minnesota State Highway 62, Minnesota State Highway 77, and Interstate 494.
Metro Transit, the region's public transportation provider, operates the Blue Line, a light rail route, on the airport grounds. Travelers can use the line to connect between the two terminals. No fare is charged for passengers only travelling between Terminal 1 and 2, and service between the terminals operates all day (the rest of the line shuts down for about four hours overnight). Beyond the airport, the Blue Line travels to downtown Minneapolis and the Mall of America in nearby Bloomington. Metro Transit also operates bus route 54 to St. Paul.
Military facilities
The Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Joint Air Reserve Station at MSP is home to the 934th Airlift Wing (934 AW), an Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) unit and the 133d Airlift Wing (133 AW) of the Minnesota Air National Guard. Both units fly the C-130 Hercules and are operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command (AMC). The 934th consists of over 1,300 military personnel, of whom approximately 250 are full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel. The 133rd is similarly manned, making for a total military presence of over 2,600 full-time and part-time personnel.
The 934 AW serves as the "host" wing for the installation, which also includes lodging/billeting, officers club, Base Exchange (BX) and other morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) facilities for active, reserve/national guard and retired military personnel and their families.
Runways
Runway | Length / width | Runway | Surface | Equipment |
---|---|---|---|---|
04 → | 11,006 by 150 ft 3,355 by 46 m |
← 22 | Concrete | Runway 04/22: Medium intensity runway edge lighting [AN(TE HI)]. Both equipped with a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) system. RWY22 : RNAV, RNP, NDB // RWY04 : ILS, RNAV, RNP, NDB, VOR/DME |
17 → | 8,000 by 150 ft 2,438 by 46 m |
← 35 | Concrete | Runway 17/35: Touchdown and Centerpoint lights and a PAPI system. Runway 35: ILS CAT I-III. RWY35 : RNAV, RNP, NDB // RWY17 : RNAV, RNP |
12R → | 10,000 by 200 ft 3,048 by 61 m |
← 30L | Concrete | Runway 12R/30L: a PAPI system. 12R: ILS CAT I-III. 30L: ILS CAT II. RWY30L : RNAV, RNP, NDB // RWY12R : ILS, RNAV, RNP, NDB, VOR/DME |
12L → | 8,200 by 150 ft 2,499 by 46 m |
← 30R | Concrete | 30R: medium intensity runway edge lighting [AN(TE HI)]. 12L: ILS CAT I-III Both: a PAPI system. RWY30R : RNAV, RNP, NDB // RWY12L : ILS, RNAV, RNP, NDB, VOR/DME |
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Cargo
Statistics
Top domestic destinations
Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Denver, Colorado | 942,000 | Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Sun Country, United |
2 | Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona | 646,000 | American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country |
3 | Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 638,000 | American, Delta, Sun Country, United |
4 | Atlanta, Georgia | 600,000 | Delta, Spirit, Sun Country |
5 | Las Vegas, Nevada | 592,000 | Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country |
6 | Orlando, Florida | 548,000 | Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country |
7 | Seattle/Tacoma, Washington | 497,000 | Alaska, Delta, Sun Country |
8 | Los Angeles, California | 487,000 | Delta, Spirit, Sun Country |
9 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 456,000 | American, Delta, Sun Country |
10 | Boston, Massachusetts | 372,000 | Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country |
Top international destinations
Rank | Airport | Passengers | Carriers |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 510,223 | Delta, KLM |
2 | Cancún, Mexico | 382,311 | Delta, Frontier, Sun Country |
3 | Paris, France | 270,009 | Delta |
4 | Toronto, Canada | 205,219 | Air Canada, Delta |
5 | Seoul, South Korea | 182,081 | Delta |
6 | Winnipeg, Canada | 154,933 | Delta |
7 | Calgary, Canada | 142,009 | Delta |
8 | Vancouver, Canada | 138,151 | Delta, Sun Country |
9 | London Heathrow, United Kingdom | 124,472 | Delta |
10 | Reykjavík, Iceland | 104,821 | Delta, Icelandair |
Airline market share
Rank | Airline | Passengers | Market Share |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Delta Air Lines | 18,808,000 | 57.92% |
2 | SkyWest Airlines (operates for Alaska Airlines, Delta Connection and United Express) | 2,672,000 | 8.23% |
3 | Sun Country Airlines | 1,824,000 | 5.63% |
4 | Southwest Airlines | 1,799,000 | 5.54% |
5 | United Airlines | 1,346,000 | 4.15% |
6 | American Airlines | 1,230,000 | 3.79% |
7 | All other airlines | 4,893,000 | 14.75% |
Annual traffic
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers | Year | Passengers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 33,733,725 | 2011 | 33,118,499 | 2021 | 25,202,120 |
2002 | 32,629,690 | 2012 | 33,170,960 | 2022 | 31,241,822 |
2003 | 33,201,860 | 2013 | 33,897,335 | 2023 | 34,770,800 |
2004 | 36,713,173 | 2014 | 35,152,460 | 2024 | |
2005 | 37,663,664 | 2015 | 36,582,854 | 2025 | |
2006 | 35,612,133 | 2016 | 37,517,957 | 2026 | |
2007 | 35,157,322 | 2017 | 38,034,431 | 2027 | |
2008 | 34,056,443 | 2018 | 38,037,381 | 2028 | |
2009 | 32,378,599 | 2019 | 39,555,036 | 2029 | |
2010 | 32,839,441 | 2020 | 14,851,289 | 2030 |
Accidents and incidents
- On March 7, 1950, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 307, a Martin 2-0-2 diverted from Rochester International Airport crashed 5 km northwest of MSP after first hitting a 70 foot high flagpole with its left wing on final approach, 8/10 of a mile from the touchdown point, in blinding snow. The left wing eventually detached and the aircraft dived and crashed into a house. All 13 passengers and crew and two children in the house were killed. A loss of visual reference to the ground on approach was the probable cause.
- On May 10, 2005, Northwest Flight 1495, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9, suffered a valve fracture and lost hydraulic pressure in its right engine shortly after takeoff from John Glenn Columbus International Airport en route to MSP. The aircraft performed a successful emergency landing at MSP, but began experiencing steering problems and a loss of the brakes while taxing to the gate, resulting in it colliding with the wing of an Airbus A319-114 at approximately 16 mph. Eight injuries were reported among the crew and passengers of both planes and the ground crew.
See also
- Blue Line
- List of airports in Minnesota
- Metro Transit
- Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Trams
- Minnesota World War II Army Airfields
- St. Paul Union Depot
- Larry Craig scandal
References
- ^ "Operations Reports". Minneapolis: Metropolitan Airports Commission. January 2019. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
- ^ "MSP Airport Data for 2023". mspairport.com. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
- ^ "List of Top 40 Airports in US - World Airport Codes". World Airport Codes. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ "2012 Minnesota Statutes". St. Paul: MN Revisor's Office. 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for MSP PDF, effective November 28, 2024.
- ^ "MSP airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ Squire, Trevor. "Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport named Best Airport in North America for second consecutive year". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ Lora, Sara. "and Aeromexico launch new service between Queretaro, Mexico, and Detroit". Delta. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
- ^ Radka, Ricky (December 23, 2021). "Airline Hub Guide: Which U.S. Cities Are Major Hubs and Why it Matters". airfarewatchdog.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
- ^ "MinneapolisHistory". Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- ^ Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission History, Volume I: Early Aviation, Metropolitan Area, 1911-1943
- ^ "Fun Facts". Metropolitan Airports Commission. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
- ^ "Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Lindbergh Terminal, 4300 Glumack Drive, Minneapolis, Minnesota". Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ "Architecture Minnesota". Architecture Minnesota. 28 (1). Minnesota Society American Institute of Architects: 49. 2002.
- ^ Hogan, Patrick (2013). "Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport: Looking Back and Moving Forward" (PDF). Metropolitan Airports Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
- ^ Torbenson, Eric (May 31, 2002). "Two New Concourses to Debut at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ Wascoe, Dan Jr. (November 1, 2002). "New Concourse Opens at Minneapolis Airport's Main Terminal". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ "MSP Intl. Airport Final ROD" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^ 2020 Annual Noise Contour Report (Report). Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). February 2021. p. 2.
- ^ Marnie Hunter (September 21, 2022). "Study reveals the North American airports that travelers find the most -- and least -- satisfying". CNN. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
- ^ "The world's most punctual airlines for 2023". cnn.com. January 4, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ "THE ON-TIME PERFORMANCE REVIEW 2023" (PDF). assets.fta.cirium.com. January 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
- ^ "Terminal 1 Map" (PDF). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ "MSP Terminal 2 Map" (PDF). Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ The Metropolitan Airports Commission (July 26, 2010). Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Long Term Comprehensive Plan Update (Report).
- ^ "A case of terminal confusion at Minn. airport". NBC News. Associated Press. July 20, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "These routes will change May 18". Metro Transit. Archived from the original on July 15, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ "MSP Runways". Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ "Timetables". Aer Lingus. Dublin: International Airlines Group. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- ^ "Flight Schedules" (PDF). Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ "Air France Flight Status and Schedule". Air France. Paris: Air France-KLM.
- ^ "Flight Timetable". Alaska Airlines. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ @MSPAirport (June 29, 2021). "We're excited to announce that a new airline is ready to join the flock! Allegiant Air will debut at MSP in October with service to Asheville (AVL), Punta Gorda (PGD), and Palm Beach (PBI)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Flight schedules and notifications". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Trade snow for sunshine: Delta's new flights from MSP to Aruba, St. Maarten and more". June 21, 2024.
- ^ "Scandi Summer: Delta launches first-ever nonstop Minneapolis-St. Paul to Copenhagen". Delta News Hub. October 11, 2024.,
- ^ "Discover more sunshine with Delta: New routes to Barbados, Puerto Plata, Mazatlán and more flights to Curaçao". Delta News Hub. February 2, 2024. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024.,
- ^ "Delta Expands in Europe with First-Ever Nonstop Flights to Catania". Business Traveler. September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ "Delta adding seasonal flight from MSP to Tulum, Mexico". June 28, 2024.
- ^ "FLIGHT SCHEDULES". Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Walton, Nicole (September 30, 2024). "Passengers will again fly to Minneapolis from Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport in January". WNMU-FM. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ^ "Denver Air Connection to take over for Boutique Air at Thief River Falls Airport". February 27, 2020.
- ^ "Lufthansa Will Exit Minneapolis, Handing Frankfurt Route to Discover Airlines". ThriftyTraveler. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
- ^ "Frontier". Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport". Icelandair. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ "March 2023 Flight Schedule now available on Southwest.com". Southwest.
- ^ "Timetable & Flight status". Lufthansa. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "Check Flight Schedules". Southwest Airlines. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Interactive Route Map". Southwest Airlines. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020.
- ^ "Where We Fly". Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ "Sun Country Airlines Extends its Fall Booking Schedule". February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Route Map". Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "Timetable". Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "WESTJET ADDS CALGARY – MINNEAPOLIS SERVICE FROM APRIL 2025". AeroRoutes. June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "WestJet NS23 North America Network Changes – 12FEB23".
- ^ "WestJet introduces Regina's only year-round transborder connectivity with announcement of daily service to Minneapolis". November 20, 2023.
- ^ "Minneapolis–St Paul International (MSP) Summary Statistics". Bureau of Transportation Statistics, US Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
- ^ "International_Report_Passengers | Department of Transportation - Data Portal". data.transportation.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "RITA | BTS | Transtats". Transtats.bts.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
- ^ "About MSP". Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ National Transportation Safety Board (April 25, 2007). Aviation Accident Final Report - CHI05MA111A (Report).
- ^ Accident description for N763NC at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on December 20, 2023.
- ^ "Frontier Airlines will double presence at MSP Airport with five new nonstop routes". Star Tribune.
External links
- Official website
- "Minnesota Airport Directory: Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (Wold–Chamberlain Field)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2003. (245 KB)
- MAC Noise Homepage (official—interactive maps of flights and noise data)
- Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Minnesota – used for information on former airports
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective November 28, 2024
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KMSP
- ASN accident history for MSP
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KMSP
- FAA current MSP delay information
- FAA Airport Form 5010 for MSP PDF
- Airport diagram for October 1959