MSP holding open house to discuss expansion plans
The Metropolitan Airports Commission is hosting two open houses this week to inform the public about plans for the Twin Cities' airport's long-term future.
The commission says passenger traffic at the airport is the lowest it's been since 1998. But commission planners expect the airport will get a lot busier in the next two decades.
"By 2030, we think the passenger boarding here will increase by 73 percent, and we could see about 28.4 million people per year boarding planes at MSP," said MAC spokesman Patrick Hogan.
Hogan said the airport expects about a 40 percent jump in flights by 2030.
The facility won't need more runways to handle that increase, but Hogan said the airport would need additional terminal gates and parking. The draft plan also calls for renovation of older concourses at the Lindbergh terminal.
Hogan said the MAC would not push ahead on expansion plans unless passenger and flight growth appears certain.
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