Minnesota’s flagship airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International, was presented on Tuesday with the prestigious On-Time Award. The award, presented by leading aviation analytics company Cirium, recognizes airport performance and reliability each year.
This marks only the second time a U.S. airport has received this honor, as announced by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC). The first time a U.S. airport scooped the award was in 2011 when Seattle-Tacoma International Airport got the global recognition.
“These awards affirm the trust and expectations that MSP has earned over many years in helping millions of people travel easily and efficiently across the globe to strengthen regional business connections and support personal and leisure travel,” said Rick King, chairman of MAC, in a news release.
MSP achieved an 84.44 percent on-time departure rate across its 289,817 flights in 2023, despite a difficult flight season. Last year’s snowfall proved to be a challenge forthe airport, as it saw 13.4 inches of snow, the second-largest February snowstorm on record, according to Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Still, MSP’s performance prevailed over four runner-up airports: India’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD), India’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR), Colombia’s El Dorado International Airport (BOG), and Utah’s Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), respectively.
“Last winter challenged our region with heavy and frequent snowstorms, yet our teams showed their dedication keeping equipment, facilities and the MSP airfield in prime condition to achieve the best possible operational capabilities that contributed to achieving this rare industry honor,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of MAC.
MSP also announced plans for the construction of two additional gates at Terminal 2. This $240 million project, slated to begin in mid-2024 and conclude by 2026, aims to enhance the airport’s capacity to accommodate more flights.
About Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mshale Reporter
Panashe is a general assignments staff reporter at Mshale.
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