MSP to move Spirit Airlines to accommodate growth

Spirit airlines
A Spirit Airlines Inc. employee walks under a plane on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport 2010.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Twin Cities Airport plans to move Spirit Airlines from the smaller Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 to accommodate a surge in the low-fare carrier's business.

Last year, the airline with the a la carte fee schedule for carry-on bags and other amenities more than doubled its passenger traffic at the airport to about 600,000.

Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan says the change in terminals, planned for January, will help both Spirit and Sun Country airlines continue their growth.

"Right now, Spirit has one gate at Terminal 2 and uses part of a second," he said. "And they'll have two full gates when they move over to Terminal 1 in January. So, it gives them a little added capacity. And it also provides extra capacity for Sun Country."

Sun Country last year flew about 20 percent more Twin Cities passengers. The Spirit move will give Sun Country another gate at Terminal 2. Hogan said that terminal would likely have to be expanded if the airport eventually succeeds in wooing JetBlue to the Twin Cities.

"If you look at the cities that they've occupied, we're the next big city they don't yet serve," said Hogan. "A couple of years ago, it was down between Detroit and Minneapolis, and they choose Detroit to start with. But if things go well there, we're hoping we'll be next within the next couple of years."

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