Greetings:

As we wrap up the first month of 2023, I find myself reflecting on what a positive year 2022 was for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). It was a year of many milestones, achievements and continued recovery from the pandemic.

Total passengers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) increased 24% compared to 2021, and total takeoffs and landings increased year-over-year as well. The MAC’s six reliever airports logged more than 342,000 operations to continue to support recreation, business travel, flight training and other aviation businesses across the Twin Cities. And it’s important to note that we continued to make major improvements to our relievers, including a new runway that opened at Lake Elmo Airport. 

Additionally, MSP was named the best airport in North America by the Airports Council International and ranked #3 among the 20 largest U.S. airports by the Wall Street Journal. These achievements are true testaments to the incredible amount of work, dedication and ingenuity MAC staff have displayed to ensure a quality experience for all travelers and airport users.

I’d also like to recognize how hard our airfield operations teams and maintenance crews have been working this winter to keep operations running efficiently and smoothly amidst ice storms and blizzards. We’re grateful for their dedication and our airport user experience has been better because of it.

In other news, I am pleased to share that the MAC’s Board of Commissioners approved a new five-year enterprise strategic plan for the MAC in November 2022. We understand that a world-class airport system delivering world-class airport experiences is critical to the success of our region. The 2023-2027 Enterprise Strategic Plan addresses this in many ways, including through aligning the organization under a single purpose statement: “To provide exceptional airport experiences so Minnesota thrives.” The plan’s purpose statement, core values and focus areas set us up to achieve new levels of excellence at MSP and our six reliever airports.

CNN just named Minneapolis one of the best places to travel in 2023, which is fantastic news for our region and the MAC airports. As gateways to the Twin Cities and beyond, our airports are committed to providing travelers with the best airport experience possible, and we are grateful for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Rick King
Chair
Metropolitan Airports Commission