Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport

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 m2) 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, Frontier, and Icelandair. 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.

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. Airlines that uses Terminal 1 are Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Denver Air Connection, Discover Airlines, KLM, United Airlines, and WestJet. Regional and domestic flights for American, Delta, and United are operated by Skywest Airlines, Endeavor Air, GoJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines, and Republic Airways. Denver Air Connection regional flights are operated by Key Lime Air.
• Terminal 2 (Humphrey) contains 14 gates across one concourse, lettered H. Airlines that uses Terminal 2 are Frontier, Icelandair, Southwest Airlines, and Minnesota based Sun Country Airlines.

International arrivals and departures are processed in Concourse G in Terminal 1, and in Terminal 2.

The two terminals are located about 1 mi 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 composed, 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

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

| Aer Lingus |Dublin | | Air Canada | Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson | | Air Canada Express | Toronto–Pearson Seasonal: Montréal–Trudeau | | Air France | Seasonal: Paris–Charles de Gaulle | | Alaska Airlines | Seattle/Tacoma Seasonal: Anchorage, Portland (OR) |

| American Airlines | Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Phoenix–Sky Harbor Seasonal: Philadelphia | | American Eagle | Chicago–O'Hare, Washington–National Seasonal: Philadelphia | | Delta Air Lines | Amsterdam, Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Billings, Bismarck, Boise, Boston, Bozeman, Calgary, Cancún, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus–Glenn, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Detroit, Dublin, Fargo, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Glacier Park/Kalispell, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madison, Mexico City, Miami, Milwaukee, Missoula, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Orange County, Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San Juan, Sarasota, Savannah, Seattle/Tacoma, Seoul–Incheon, Sioux Falls, Spokane, St. Louis, Tampa, Tokyo–Haneda, Tri-Cities (WA), Vancouver, Washington–National Seasonal: Albuquerque, Aruba, Belize City, Buffalo, Colorado Springs, Copenhagen, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Harlingen, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Jackson Hole, Liberia (CR), Mazatlán, Montego Bay, Myrtle Beach, Nassau, Palm Springs, Portland (ME), Providence, Providenciales, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Rapid City, Reno/Tahoe, Reykjavík–Keflavík, Rome–Fiumicino, San José del Cabo, St. Maarten, Toronto–Pearson, Tucson, West Palm Beach, Wilmington (NC) | | Delta Connection | Aberdeen (SD), Appleton, Bemidji, Bismarck, Brainerd, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Chicago–Midway, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus–Glenn, Des Moines, Duluth, Escanaba, Fargo, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Fort Wayne, Grand Forks, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Hibbing/Chisholm, International Falls, Iron Mountain, Kansas City, Knoxville, Louisville, Madison, Marquette, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minot, Montréal–Trudeau, Mosinee/Wausau, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Rapid City, Rhinelander, Richmond, Rochester (MN), Sault Ste. Marie (MI),Savannah, Sioux Falls, South Bend, St. Louis, Toronto–Pearson, Tri-Cities (WA), Washington–Dulles, Watertown (SD), White Plains, Wichita, Williston, Winnipeg
Seasonal: Austin, Burlington (VT), Eagle/Vail, Indianapolis, Syracuse, Traverse City| | Denver Air Connection | Ironwood, Thief River Falls | | Discover Airlines | Seasonal: Frankfurt| | Frontier Airlines | Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver Seasonal: Atlanta, Fort Myers, Las Vegas (begins March 6, 2026), Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor | | Icelandair | Reykjavík–Keflavík | | KLM |Seasonal: Amsterdam | | Southwest Airlines | Austin, Baltimore, Chicago–Midway, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, St. Louis Seasonal: Dallas–Love, Fort Myers, Orlando, Tampa | | Sun Country Airlines | Boston, Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Fort Myers, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Portland (OR), San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Tampa Seasonal: Anchorage, Asheville, Atlanta, Aruba, Austin, Baltimore, Belize City, Boise, Bozeman, Buffalo, Burlington (VT), Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Cincinnati, Columbus–Glenn, Cozumel, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Glacier Park/Kalispell, Grand Cayman, Grand Rapids, Gulfport/Biloxi, Harlingen, Hartford, Houston–Hobby, Indianapolis, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City, Liberia (CR), Mazatlán, Melbourne/Orlando, Miami, Milwaukee, Missoula, Montego Bay, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, New York–JFK, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Phoenix/Mesa, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Providenciales, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Punta Gorda (FL), Raleigh/Durham, Rapid City, Reno/Tahoe, Richmond, Roatán, San Antonio, San José del Cabo, Sarasota, Savannah, St. Louis, St. Maarten, St. Petersburg/Clearwater, St. Thomas, Spokane, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Tucson, Tulsa (begins May 21, 2026), Vancouver, Washington–Dulles, West Palm Beach, Wilmington (NC) | | United Airlines | Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, San Francisco Seasonal: Newark | | United Express | Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, Washington–Dulles Seasonal: Denver | | WestJet | Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon | | WestJet Encore | Regina |

Cargo

| Amazon Air | Cincinnati, Fort Worth/Alliance, Lakeland, San Bernardino, Wilmington (OH) | | Bemidji Airlines | Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Eveleth, International Falls, Grand Rapids (MN), La Crosse, Rice Lake, Thief River Falls | | DHL Aviation | Cincinnati, Detroit, Omaha, Thief River Falls, Winnipeg | | FedEx Express | Appleton, Fort Worth/Alliance, Indianapolis, Memphis, | | FedEx Feeder | Bemidji, Duluth, Memphis, Thief River Falls | | UPS Airlines | Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Chicago/Rockford, Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Fargo, Fergus Falls, Grand Rapids, International Falls, La Crosse, Louisville, Marshall, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Rice Lake, Thief River Falls, Wadena, Winnipeg, Winona Seasonal: Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Ontario, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Sioux Falls |

Statistics

Top domestic destinations

Top international destinations

Airline market share

Annual traffic

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 taxiing 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.

References

References

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43. "FedEx flight makes emergency landing after explosions heard over Memphis; no injuries reported".
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48. {{ASN accident
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