Minneapolisâ€"Saint Paul International Airport (IATA: MSP, ICAO: KMSP, FAA LID: MSP), also known as Woldâ€"Chamberlain Field, is a joint civil-military public use international airport. Located in a portion of Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, outside of any city or school district, within 10 miles (16 km) of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, it is the largest and busiest airport in the six-state Upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Overview
In terms of passengers, Minneapolisâ€"Saint Paul International Airport was the 16th busiest airport in the United States as of 2014 and the 50th busiest in the world in 2015. A joint civil-military airport, MSP is also home to the Minneapolisâ€"Saint Paul International Airport Joint Air Reserve Station, supporting both Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard flight operations.
Airlines out of MSP serve 155 nonstop markets from the airport, including 126 domestic and 29 international markets. Internationally, Delta Air Lines flies to four trans-oceanic destinations year round: Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Parisâ€"Charles de Gaulle, and Tokyoâ€"Haneda, with an additional seasonal trans-oceanic flight to ReykjavÃk-KeflavÃk. Both Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines serve many cities throughout the Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico with seasonal or year round service. Air France has seasonal service to Paris and Condor Airlines has flights to Frankfurt seasonally. Icelandair has year round service to ReykjavÃkâ€"Keflavik. KLM resumed year-round service to Amsterdam in March 2017 and will be starting MSP's first Boeing 787 service in October 2017. Compared to other large metropolitan areas in the United States, only Atlanta and Denver serve more non-stop markets per capita.
The airport, including both passenger terminal buildings, is mostly in the census-designated place of Fort Snelling in an unincorporated portion of Hennepin County. Small sections of the airport are within the city limits of Minneapolis and Richfield. The airport is across the Mississippi River from St. Paul. The airport's terminal exits are minutes from Mall of America; careful flight pattern planning ensures aircraft never fly over the mall at low altitude.
MSP is the second largest hub airport for Delta Air Lines and its Delta Connection partners. Compass Airlines and Endeavor Air have their official headquarters nearby. It also serves as the home airport for Sun Country Airlines. Champion Air was based at the Minneapolisâ€"Saint Paul International Airport until the airline ceased operations in May 2008. Northwest Airlines had a hub at the airport until its 2010 merger with Delta Air Lines and the Delta Connection partner Mesaba Airlines was also headquartered nearby until December 2011 as it completed its merger with Pinnacle Airlines. Delta Air Lines accounts for more than 80% of the airport's passenger traffic. The airport is operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which also handles operation of six smaller airports in the region.
Pinnacle Airlines relocated its headquarters from Memphis International Airport to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in May 2013 and has renamed itself as Endeavor Air.
The airport's police department is recognized as having one of the best trained K-9 units in the United States. At a national competition in 2013, two MSP Airport Police dogs, "Ollie" and "Lana", took first and second place in explosives detection.
History
The airport came into being when several local groups came together to take control of the former bankrupt Twin City Speedway race track, giving the airport its original name, Speedway Field. Soon after, in 1921, the airport was renamed "Woldâ€"Chamberlain Field" for the World War I pilots Ernest Groves Wold and Cyrus Foss Chamberlain. Howard Hughes briefly stopped at Woldâ€"Chamberlain Field on his round the world flight in 1938. In 1944 the site was renamed to "Minneapolisâ€"St. Paul Metropolitan Airport/Wold-Chamberlain Field", with "International" replacing "Metropolitan" four years later. Today it is rare to see the Woldâ€"Chamberlain portion of the name used anywhere.
MSP was the main base for Northwest Airlines starting in 1926 and became the main base of regional carrier North Central Airlines in 1952. North Central merged with Southern Airways to form Republic Airlines in 1979; Republic then merged with Northwest in 1986. The combined carrier came to control 79% of traffic at the airport, and merged into Delta Air Lines in 2010.
Ground was broken for the current Charles Lindbergh terminal 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 and completed on January 13, 1962 and operations began on January 21, 1962. Piers A and D (formerly the Green and Gold Concourses, now Concourse C and Concourse G respectively) were built as an expansion of the terminal designed by Cerny Associates in 1970. This project also involved rebuilding the existing concourses into bi-level structures equipped with holding rooms and jet bridges. It handles all international flights and airlines such as Delta, United and others. The Gold Concourse was expanded in 1986 and included the airport's first moving walkway.
In 1970, MSP served as the primary filming location for the film Airport, though the film presented the airport as a fictional Chicago-based Lincoln International. Ironically, MSP was selected in part for notorious winter climate, yet the filming period remained stubbornly fair-weathered, forcing film crews to employ copious amounts of fake snow. As filming had to take place during normal airport operations, several features of the airport itself, such as the color-based labeling of different concourses, were present in the movie. This labeling system was replaced beginning in 2000 with the more familiar system of lettered concourses.
Due in part to the impact of aircraft noise on south Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs, Northwest Airlines and others had proposed moving out of MSP and building a new airport on the fringes of the Twin Cities metro area to handle more large jets and more international traffic. Minneapolis 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, stating in part that the economic climate had turned in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak, who had been a founding member of ROAR, promised that the city would challenge the funding changes.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Terminal was built in 2001. It is used mostly for charter and low cost airlines, including Sun Country and Southwest Airlines.
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.
Icelandair started service to Minneapolis-St. Paul from Reykjavik in 1998. Northwest operated flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Hong Kong and Osaka in 1998 using 747-400 aircraft, but were dropped in the same year. Northwest also operated Minneapolis-St. Paul to Oslo and Frankfurt service using DC-10 aircraft, but they too were dropped. From the early 1990s and to 2000s (decade), KLM operated 747 and MD-11 service from Amsterdam to Minneapolis-St. Paul. In part because of the Delta/KLM joint venture, KLM has not served Minneapolis-St. Paul with its own aircraft since 2004, but reintroduced the service in March 2017. Beginning in the summer of 2013 Air France commenced non-stop seasonal flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport to Minneapolis-St. Paul using Airbus A340-300 aircraft. Condor Airlines also began non-stop seasonal service to Minneapolis-St. Paul from Frankfurt in the summer of 2014 using 767-300's.
By May 2012, Great Lakes Airlines was adding services to small communities that had been ended by the legacy carriers earlier in the airport's history. Hub status was removed February 1, 2014 due to the lack of qualified pilots.
Description
Minneapolisâ€"Saint Paul International Airport has two terminals, both of which were named for famous Minnesotans: the Lindbergh Terminal 1 (named after the aviator Charles Lindbergh) and the smaller Humphrey Terminal 2 (named for former US Vice President Hubert Humphrey). Lindbergh Terminal 1 officially has seven concourses, lettered Aâ€"G, with the Humphrey Terminal 2 labeled as Concourse H. The old Humphrey Terminal 2, built in 1986, was rebuilt in 2001 to expand capacity and give passengers a more seamless experience.
Like many other airports, MSP interconnects with several other forms of transportation. Several large parking ramps are available for cars. Most other connections are made at the Hub Building and adjacent Transit Center, which has city and shuttle bus, taxi, light-rail and rental car service. Two trams (people movers) are at the airport. One carries passengers from the main section of Lindbergh Terminal 1 to the Hub Building and another runs along Concourse C in that terminal.
The airport is near Fort Snelling, the site of one of the earliest United States government settlements in the area. Both the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers flow nearby. Minnesota State Highway 5 provides the closest entrance to the Lindbergh Terminal 1, just a short distance from Interstate 494. The Humphrey Terminal 2 is accessed via the 34th Avenue exit from I-494, which runs past Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Delta Air Lines has hangars arranged along I-494 and 34th Avenue, so it's possible to see airliners undergoing maintenance while driving past.
The METRO light rail Blue Line has stops at both the Hub Building Terminal 1 (Lindbergh Station) and Terminal 2 Humphrey Terminal (Humphrey Station). It connects the airport with downtown Minneapolis as well as with the Mall of America in nearby Bloomington and operates as a shuttle service between the two airport terminals. Travelers can use the rail line to go between the two sites at all times; it is the only part of the line that operates continuously through the night (the rest shuts down for about four hours early in the morning). Passengers going between the two terminals may ride free of charge, but those riding beyond the airport grounds must pay a standard fare. Two parallel tunnels for the line run roughly 70 feet (20 meters) below the airport and at 1.7 miles (2.7Â km) in length are the longest tunnels on the route. The Lindbergh Terminal 1 station is the only one underground on the line, as the rails return to the surface near Humphrey Terminal 2. Due to current concerns about terrorism, a great deal of effort went into ensuring that the tunnels are highly blast-resistant. The underground portion was the costliest section of the entire rail project.
Runways
Minneapolisâ€"Saint Paul International Airport covers 2,930 acres (1,186 ha) and has four runways, all with high intensity lights.
Runway 17/35 opened in October 2005. Prior to that time, a number of buildings (including several hangars and the City of Richfield's Rich Acres Golf Course) were demolished to make way for the runway protection zone of the new runway. Aircraft approaching Runway 35 fly slightly east of the Mall of America, overfly Interstate 494 and land seconds later. Due to noise concerns from south Minneapolis, between August 13, 2007 and October 18, 2007, Runway 17/35 was used regularly during construction on Runway 12R/30L.
Airport lounges
Armed Forces Service Center is an all free lounge for traveling military which includes Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard personnel and their dependents, as well as Department of Defense and PHS employees (on orders) and other members of the uniformed services on active duty. The center is located in Terminal 1 on the mezzanine level above the main ticket area by checkpoint 1.
Delta Air Lines offers two Sky Clubs. Both are located in Terminal 1. One is located near the entrance to the F and G concourses. The second is located on the C concourse, near Gate C12.
Escape Lounge is a club that is open to all passengers for a fee. It is located in Terminal 1 on the mezzanine level of the Airport Mall.
PGA MSP Lounge is a members only club. It is located in Terminal 1 at the north end of the Airport Mall's mezzanine level at the intersection of concourses A, D & E.
United Airlines has a United Club in Terminal 1 between gates E6 and E8.
MSP long term plan
In 2004, Northwest Airlines, since merged into Delta Air Lines, proposed expanding the Lindbergh Terminal 1 to accommodate growing flight operations in a plan known as the MSP 2020 Vision. The proposed expansion included moving all airlines other than Northwest Airlines and its SkyTeam alliance partners to the Humphrey Terminal 2. This caused increased concern about Northwest Airlines' control of the Minneapolis/St. Paul commercial air service market with some claiming that Northwest was using its market position to inflate airfares. While AirTran Airways voiced opposition to the plan, American Airlines and United Airlines remained neutral on the move since both had exclusive terminals at their own main hubs. Despite the merger between Northwest and Delta Air Lines, there are still plans in place to carry out these expansions. In August 2015, the Metropolitan Airports Commission approved a plan that looks out to the year 2035. At the meeting the airlines were split into three groups: All SkyTeam airlines, Southwest Airlines and all other passenger airlines.
The MAC looked at the following requirements for the Lindbergh Terminal and all SkyTeam partners:
- 119 total gates are required in 2030
- 13 gates must accommodate wide-body aircraft
- Delta Air Lines and other SkyTeam airlines will have exclusive rights to the entire Lindbergh Terminal 1
- 63 gates must accommodate medium and large regional aircraft
- 20 gates must have access to international arrivals facilities
The MAC also looked into the following requirements for all Non-SkyTeam partners at the Humphrey Terminal 2:
- 36 total gates are required in 2030
- 2 gates must accommodate wide-body aircraft
- 30 gates must accommodate narrow-body jet aircraft
- 5 gates must have access to international arrivals facilities
The 36 gates required at the Humphrey Terminal in 2030 will serve predominantly narrow-body aircraft operated by airlines with hubs elsewhere and Sun Country Airlines, which operates a fleet of exclusively Boeing 737's. Most air service to MSP on these airlines are anticipated to be operated by common narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320.
Airport improvements
Beginning in 2016, major changes will be coming to the airport due to the fact that by 2035, 50 million passengers are expected to pass through the airport every year. A new terminal 1 ticketing and baggage-claim area have been constructed so far. Improvements throughout Terminal 1 have included bigger, better bathrooms and new shops, and will continue. A new parking ramp, expected to be constructed by 2019 will help ease the parking congestion at the airport. A new hotel will be constructed by 2018, details below. At terminal 2, 4 new gates were added to possibly attract more airlines to terminal 2.
Hotel (on-site)
InterContinental Hotels has signed on to be the first full service on-site hotel at the airport with 300 rooms on 12 floors. It will open during the winter of 2017-2018. The new hotel will be skyway connected to the airport with its own security checkpoint. The hotel will also have an "observation bar" on the top floor. It will have floor to ceiling windows with views of both downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It will also have sweeping views of the Minnesota River, Mississippi River and the entire airport.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
- Sun Country Airlines will begin non-stop service to Varadero, Cuba and Santa Clara, Cuba starting December 2017.
Charters
Cargo
Statistics
Top domestic destinations
Top international destinations
Average daily flights
Terminal statistics
Annual passengers, movements & freight
On time stats
- *Jul 2016 - Jun 2017
- **Ranked only for major U.S. airports from Jul 2016 - Jun 2017
Airport statistics
Ground transportation
Bus service
Charter Buses
Located at the Terminal 1 Transit Center.
Jefferson Lines/Greyhound
Access is located in Terminal 1 at the Transit Center. Buses serve Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Metro Transit
(Terminal 1-Lindbergh)
Service is provided by Route 54. Located in the Transit Center on level 1 of the Blue and Red parking ramps.
(Terminal 2-Humphrey)
There isn't any bus service from this terminal. Passengers must use the free light rail to Terminal 1 and then proceed to the Transit Center.
Highways
From St. Paul and the eastern metro area, the airport can be accessed via Interstate 35E, Interstate 494, and Minnesota State Highway 5. The airport can be accessed from Minneapolis and the western metro area from Interstate 35W, Interstate 494, Minnesota State Highway 55, Minnesota State Highway 62, and Minnesota State Highway 77. From the southern metro area, the airport can be reached via Interstate 35E, Interstate 35W, and Minnesota State Highway 77.
Light rail stations (Metro Transit Blue Line)
(Terminal 1-Lindbergh Station)
Take the tram to the Transit Center and follow the signs.
(Terminal 2-Humphrey Station)
Is located on the north side of the Orange Parking Ramp.
Rental cars
On airport car rentals
(Terminal 1-Lindbergh)
Take the tram to the rental car facility on levels 2 and 3 of the Blue and Red parking ramps.
(Terminal 2-Humphrey)
Located in the Ground Transportation Center on the ground level of the Purple Parking Ramp across from the terminal building.
The following car rental companies have counters in both terminals
Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty.
Off airport car rentals
The following companies are assessable from the Terminal 1 Transit Center. Shuttle buses pickup/drop off from this location.
They are Payless and Sixt.
Lyft and Uber are approved to pickup and drop-off passengers at both Terminals 1 & 2 24/7.
Shuttle service
Chippewa Valley Airport Service is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Baldwin, Eau Claire, Hudson and Menomonie.
Crimson Ride is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation from and to the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis.
Executive Express is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from many destinations within Minnesota and Iowa.
Go Carefree Shuttle is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from La Crosse and Winona.
Go Rochester Direct is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from the Rochester area.
Lakes Express is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Brainerd, Elk River, Little Falls, Monticello and St Cloud.
Land to Air Express is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Mankato area and points in between.
Northfield Metro Express is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Northfield.
NWT Express Shuttle is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Amery, Cumberland, Hayward, New Richmond, Rice Lake, St Croix Falls, Spooner and Turtle Lake.
Rochester Shuttle Service is another shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from the Rochester area.
Skyline Shuttle is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Duluth and points in between.
Star Shuttle Service is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from Rochester and the U.S. Highway 52 corridor.
SuperShuttle is a shuttle service that provides ground transportation to and from destinations within the Twin Cities area.
Taxi service
(Terminal 1-Lindbergh)
Located on the Tram level or Level T.
(Terminal 2-Humphrey)
Located in the Ground Transportation Center which is in the Purple Ramp on the ground floor.
Military facilities
The Minneapolisâ€"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 which 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.
Miscellaneous
- US Customs Port of Entry 3501
- Terminal 1-Lindbergh square footage: 2.8 million
- Terminal 1-Lindbergh gates: 104
- Terminal 2-Humphrey square footage: 595,699
- Terminal 2-Humphrey gates: 14
- On-airport parking spaces: 23,639
- Nonstop markets served: 155, including 128 domestic and 27 international markets.
- Cost to airlines per enplaned passenger: $6.44. MSP's 2016 estimated cost to airlines per enplaned passenger ranks among the lower third of large hub airports. The 2013 estimated national average is $11.99 based on rating agency information and various airport Bond Official Statements.
- Landing fees to signatory airlines: $2.42 per 1,000 pounds landed weight.
- Originating passengers: 58%
- Connecting passengers: 42%
Other buildings
Delta Air Lines Building C is located on the property of Minneapolisâ€"St. Paul International Airport and in Fort Snelling. Delta uses it for northern and regional operations. The building is located along 34th Avenue, which is the main access point to the airport terminals from Interstate 494, and across from the Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Building C is in a public access area of the airport, so visitors are not required to undergo security checks to access it. In 2009, as Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines merged, Delta removed all employees from Building A, the previous headquarters of Northwest in Eagan and all employees who remained in Minneapolis were moved to Building C, which was renovated and Building J. Facilities within the building include the Compass Airlines corporate headquarters, which moved there on December 16, 2009 and Delta SkyBonus offices. Endeavor Air is also headquartered in Building C. In 2013 Delta announced that the former Pinnacle Airlines, which became Endeavor, would move its headquarters from Memphis to MSP Airport and that it would occupy five stories.
Prior to its disestablishment, Republic Airlines (1979â€"1986) had its headquarters in Building C. The Regional Elite Airline Services headquarters were in Building C.
See also
- Blue Line
- List of airports in Minnesota
- Metro Transit
- Minneapolisâ€"St. Paul Airport Trams
- Minnesota World War II Army Airfields
References
External links
Media related to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- "Minnesota Airport Directory: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (Woldâ€"Chamberlain Field)" (PDF).  (245 KB)
- MAC Noise Homepage (officialâ€"interactive maps of flights and noise data)
- Live Air Traffic Control streams including MSP
- Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Minnesota â€" used for information on former airports
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective September 14, 2017
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KMSP
- ASN accident history for MSP
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KMSP
- FAA current MSP delay information
- OpenNav airspace and charts for KMSP
- FAA Airport Master Record for MSP (Form 5010 PDF)
- Airport diagram for October 1959